The internet once adored Claudine Co — the 25-year-old singer and lifestyle vlogger with glossy Instagram reels, dreamy Euro trips, and a YouTube channel filled with jet-setting content. But admiration quickly turned into disgust when netizens connected the dots: Claudine is the daughter of contractor Christopher Co and niece of congressman-businessman Rizaldy Co — both linked to DPWH’s controversial flood control projects worth billions.
Now, what used to be “aesthetic inspo” for her fans is being slammed as shameless flaunting of possible taxpayers’ money.
From glam to scam?
For years, Claudine built her brand around luxury living: boarding private planes, ticking off nearly 40 countries on her travel map, parading limited-edition Hermès Birkins, and casually posting six-digit OOTDs. But in a country drowning in floods — literally — it didn’t take long for netizens to ask: Saan nanggagaling ang yaman na ‘yan?
The backlash exploded when it was revealed that her father co-founded Hi-Tone Construction and Development Corp, while her uncle runs Sunwest Group of Companies. Both companies are in the Top 15 DPWH contractors handpicked by Malacañang — and both allegedly bagged multi-million projects for roads, bridges, and (ironically) flood control.
Online wits were merciless:
“Flood control? Eh bakit wallet nila ang umaapaw?”
“Grabe, ang baha sa Pinas hindi tubig, kundi kayamanan ng mga Co.”
The fall of an influencer
Claudine’s once-vibrant social media pages are now dark. After the uproar, she deactivated or made private her accounts, sparking even more curiosity. “Kung malinis, bakit nagtatago?” became the rallying cry of furious netizens.
On X (formerly Twitter), comments ranged from savage sarcasm to outright rage:
“Yung isang Birkin niya = 1 year tuition ko. Eh ilang bag meron siya?”
“Nakakaiyak, triple kayod kami sa abroad para mapondohan ang Bora trip ni Claudine.”
“Can’t wait for her Senate hearing OOTD. Baka naka-Chanel pa sa witness stand.”
Some fans who once idolized her during the lockdown era admitted they felt “betrayed.” What they thought was just “hard-earned family wealth” now reeks of government kickbacks.
The new face of ‘contractor kids’
Claudine’s saga mirrors the Discaya couple’s fiasco just weeks ago, when Sarah and Curlee Discaya flaunted their multi-million car collection on national TV — only to be linked later to questionable DPWH contracts as well.
Both cases expose what many Filipinos have long suspected but rarely see this clearly: the next-generation anak ng contractors and political clans living like Kardashians, while ordinary families can’t even afford to send kids to school without debt.
It’s not just flaunting wealth — it’s flaunting privilege built on questionable foundations. And that, for many struggling Filipinos, feels like a slap in the face. Or worse, as one commenter put it: “Hindi lang kami sinampal, binugbog kami ng kahirapan habang sila nagbibilang ng Louis Vuitton.”
The million-peso question
Claudine may insist she’s just a singer and vlogger who happens to be born rich. But in the court of public opinion, the lavish lifestyle of contractor kids isn’t just personal business — it’s political. Every Birkin, every private jet post, every overseas shopping spree now comes with one haunting question:
Is this luxury bought with our taxes?
And until Claudine faces that question head-on, her name will remain synonymous not with music or vlogging, but with the ugly face of privilege in a country where floods drown the poor — while the rich float on yachts.