File photo of former Ako Bicol party-list representative ‘Zaldy’ Co.
Reacting to ex-congressman Elizaldy ‘Zaldy’ Co’s allegation that he and his cousin, former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, received billions of pesos in kickbacks from budget insertions, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. is challenging the former party-list representative to return to the Philippines and face his accusers.
Co released his fourth video in a series of disclosures tracing alleged transactions from 2022 to 2025, during which time he claimed President Marcos Jr. and then Speaker Romualdez received ‘payoffs’ reaching ₱56 billion.
The resigned Ako Bicol party-list lawmaker claimed that the deliveries were coordinated through intermediaries. In his earlier videos, Co showed a footage of several luggage that he alleged contained the said kickbacks.
The former sectoral legislator likewise disclosed he could not return to the Philippines due to alleged threats to his life. He stressed that the threat poses as “a clear and present danger” as he cited that the authorities would portray him as a terrorist to prevent him from revealing information that could implicate the highest officials in government.
As of this writing, a Blue Notice from the International Police Organization (Interpol) has already been released against Co. This was confirmed by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Juanito Victor ‘Jonvic’ Remulla Jr. who explained that formal request have also been issued for information regarding Co’s location or activities in relation to the criminal investigation filed against him.
So far, Remulla says they have no information on the whereabouts of Co even as he noted that there is the possibility that the former congressman could be using another passport.
Meanwhile, Bureau of Immigration (BI) commissioner Joel Anthony Viado announced that Co is now on their derogatory database with his co-accused in the alleged anomalous road dike project in Oriental Mindoro. This, Viado stated, will ensure that frontline officers can immediately act if any of the accused attempt to either depart from or enter the Philippines.