Sen. Ping Lacson Confirms Zaldy Co’s P100-Billion Budget Insertion Claim but Clears Marcos Jr. from Accusation
PING LACSON – The Senator confirmed the claim of Zaldy Co over the alleged P100 billion budget insertion but cleared the name of President Bongbong Marcos from the said accusation.
Amid the calls for him to return to the Philippines and face the massive corruption accusations against him, Zaldy Co did not heed to the call of the Filipinos and the government as well as the order of House Speaker Bojie Dy. Instead, amid the flood control mess, he resigned from being the representative of Ako Bicol Partylist in the lower chamber.
Zaldy Co previously claimed that he is allegedly worried over his safety. According to him, he intended to return to the country but the investigations have allegedly subjected him to public condemnation. He resigned from being a House member after Speaker Dy revoked his Travel Clearance.
Recently, countless people were moved when Zaldy Co tagged Pres. Bongbong Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez in the alleged multi-billion corruption in the country. He accused Marcos Jr. and Romualdez of alleged budget insertions and supposed kickbacks from the projects of the government. He even claimed that the President allegedly ordered the insertion of P100-billion to the 2025 national budget.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson previously stressed that the accusations of Zaldy Co against Marcos Jr. and Romualdez were not made under oath. He also seemingly do not believe on the claim that the President allegedly ordered the budget insertion in the bicam when he could have made it from the very start. However, recently, the Senator also confirmed the claim of the resigned Ako Bicol Partylist Representative.
According to Sen. Ping Lacson, it is true that there is a P100 billion budget insertion in the 2025 budget. While he confirmed the claim of Zaldy Co, based on the report, the Senate President Pro Tempore cleared Pres. Bongbong Marcos from the accusations saying his name was allegedly only used.
“Totoo yung listahan ng P100 billion. Talaga nasingit sa bicam. But yung sinasabi ni Zaldy Co on social media as posted, na nag-deliver siya ng P25 billion representing the 25 percent commission di umano para kay Presidente, that I will attest na hindi totoo. Yun talaga absolutely untrue or false,” the Senator said.
Sen. Ping Lacson claimed that he allegedly got an information from former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo that some people in Malacañang supposedly used the name of Pres. Bongbong Marcos for the budget insertion. According to him, it is allegedly why Zaldy Co thought that the order was from the President.
“Napag-alaman ko from Undersecretary Bernardo na may mga tao sa Malacanang — not the President, not authorized by the President — who misrepresented him. I will name some of them, Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin, he name-dropped the President, making Zaldy Co believe na utos ng Pangulo na ipasok sa bicam yung insertions na P100 billion — now, Usec Trygve Olaivar, other personalities,” Lacson said.
Based on the report, Sen. Ping Lacson asked who would not believe if Bersamin would say that Marcos Jr. ordered the budget insertion. According to him, 80% of the said P100 billion budget insertion went to the DPWH while the rest were distributed to other agencies.
Aside from the corruption allegations by Zaldy Co, Sen. Imee Marcos also recently accused Pres. Bongbong Marcos of allegedly using illegal drugs. Sen. Ping Lacson also spoke on the accusation of Sen. Marcos against PBBM.