Former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Zaldy Co is preparing for a full-blown legal battle as the government moves aggressively to prosecute key figures in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal that has rattled the political establishment and triggered nationwide outrage.
Co’s lawyer, Ruy Rondain, said the embattled ex-lawmaker will exhaust all legal remedies in the proper forum, stressing that they will respond “at the appropriate time” to the flurry of arrest warrants issued against his client. He added that the defense camp is still verifying the government’s latest accusations before making a detailed statement.
The controversy spiraled anew after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. revealed that both the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Independent Commission on Infrastructure have recommended filing plunder and graft charges against Co and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The recommendations follow months of mounting evidence pointing to widespread anomalies in flood control projects across the country.
Arrest warrants have already been issued for Co and 17 officials from Sunwest Corp., a contractor firm he co-founded. Authorities say these individuals are implicated in a series of ghost and substandard flood control projects allegedly funneled through a small circle of favored contractors between 2022 and 2025.
The twist comes after Co himself detonated the scandal earlier this month with a three-part exposé accusing both Marcos and Romualdez of receiving P56 billion in kickbacks from P100 billion worth of budget insertions in the 2025 national budget. His disclosures sparked massive protests, forced resignations, and prompted calls for a national purge of corruption.
If charges proceed, it will be the first time Romualdez — the President’s cousin and former House leader — faces possible criminal liability in the sweeping corruption controversy. Marcos previously admitted that only 15 companies nationwide landed nearly one-fifth of the more than P500 billion in flood control contracts during the period, a revelation that triggered further scrutiny into firms linked to the Co family.
Sunwest was co-founded by Zaldy Co, while another contractor, Hi-Tone, was founded by his brother Christopher, who preceded him as Ako Bicol representative. Zaldy Co stepped into the role in 2019 and resigned from Congress in September while overseas.
Co has publicly maintained that he and his family divested from Sunwest years ago, insisting they had no role in decisions made by the company since 2019. But investigators say paper trails, witness testimonies, and financial records raise questions about lingering influence in key flood control deals.
As the scandal widens, legal experts warn that the showdown could become one of the most consequential corruption cases in recent Philippine history — one that could reshape alliances across the political landscape.
For now, Co’s camp remains silent beyond its assurance that all legal steps will be taken. But with public anger rising and government agencies simultaneously pursuing prosecution, the road ahead is set to become even more volatile.