Rep. Zaldy Co denies latest accusations on infra kickback mess

Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co (Official Facebook page of Rep. Zaldy Co)

MANILA, Philippines — Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co has denied the latest allegations raised against him during a Senate blue ribbon committee probe into anomalous infrastructure projects, adding that he reserves his right to respond to these allegations at a proper forum.

In a statement on Tuesday, Co said that the allegations raised against him during the Senate hearing are “false.”

Co did not specify what allegations were mentioned, but earlier, both former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara and former assistant Bulacan engineer Brice Hernandez name-dropped the Ako Bicol solon as among the lawmakers who made budget insertions and kickbacks from infrastructure projects.

“The allegations made against me during today’s Senate hearing are false and baseless. I reserve my right to respond to these allegations at the proper time before the proper forum,” Co said in a statement sent by his staffer.

According to Alcantara — who delivered a “tell-all” testimony at the Senate, he and Co met during a gathering at Shangri-La Bonifacio.

“We were able to talk there about the plan of Cong. Zaldy to try to get funds into my district for various projects,” Alcantara said.

After a month, Alcantara said he submitted a list of projects related to flood control.

“These projects came out in the GAA of 2022 — six projects in all. And as I remember, the first was P519 million. In a span of four years, from 2022 up to 2025, Cong. Zaldy became a proponent of projects in the Bulacan First District,” Alcantara said.

Citing records, he said these projects cost a total of not less than P35 billion.

According to Alcantara, his delivery of kickbacks to Co did not always happen in bulk, detailing that it would all depend on how the projects or which projects were inserted. 

READ: Alcantara: Insertions, kickbacks for Revilla, Villanueva, Estrada, Co  

Hernandez and former Bulacan engineer Jaypee Mendoza meanwhile said during the same Senate hearing that they delivered an estimated P1 billion in cash — allegedly packed into more than 20 suitcases and transported in six to seven vans — to Co’s penthouse unit at Shangri-La Hotel in Taguig.

While he did not personally meet Co, Hernandez alleged he saw the congressman when the latter met with Alcantara, who was his boss then.

This is not the first time that Co denied allegations against him.  Last September 8, Co broke his long silence over budget insertion issues, claiming that accusations leveled against him by the Discaya couple are politically motivated and mere hearsay.

Co said that such irresponsible accusations from contractor-couple Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya are unsubstantiated and only seek to mislead the public.

Pacifico Discaya said that several House members have asked for a percentage of public funds allocated to infrastructure projects, after his companies bagged government contracts. 

On top of this, Discaya added, was a request for a 25 percent cut that would allegedly be given to former Co and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

Romualdez called out the Discaya couple’s claims, calling it “false, malicious and nothing more than name-dropping.”  Co likewise denied the Discayas’ claims.

But aside from this, Co has remained silent about other issues, like the complaint filed by Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco against him before the House of Representatives’ committee on ethics and privileges on Tuesday.

Tiangco sent copies of his letter to 4Ps party-list Rep. JC Abalos, chairperson of the House of Representatives’ committee on ethics and privileges, where labeled three violations that Co supposedly committed:

• violation of Article XI, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution
• violation of Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of Public Officials and Employees
• violation of House Rules (specifically Paragraph a, c, g, h, of Section 141, Rule XX)

On Monday, newly-elected Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III said that House leaders and the committee on ethics and privileges will discuss possible next steps if Co fails to return in 10 days.

Dy last September 18 officially revoked Co’s travel clearance, asking him to come home within 10 days to answer allegations linking him to questionable budget insertions and contractors doing public works projects.

READ: Dy’s first move as speaker: Zaldy Co told to return in 10 days  

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