Former Ako-Bicol Party-list representative Zaldy Co accused House Majority Leader and presidential son Rep. Sandro Marcos of inserting ₱50.938 billion worth of projects into the 2023, 2024, and 2025 national budgets – a charge the Ilocos Norte lawmaker swiftly rejected, branding Co as a “destabilizer.”
Co, who previously chaired the House Committee on Appropriations during the 19th Congress, made the allegations in a video exposé posted on Facebook on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
He later uploaded nearly 100 pages of documents purportedly detailing the insertions.
“Hindi lang po ang Pangulo ang may insertion sa budget. Pati po si Cong. Sandro Marcos meron din pong pinapasok taon-taon,” Co said, claiming that Marcos pushed for ₱9.636 billion in 2023, ₱20.174 billion in 2024, and ₱21.127 billion in 2025.
“Kung mapapansin niyo ay taon-taon, padami nang padami ang insertions niya tuwing bicam,” he added, referring to the bicameral conference committee hearings.
Co urged the public to verify the projects in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) and check whether they were implemented.
He also alleged that President Marcos himself made significant insertions into the national budget.
‘Champion of Destabilizers’
Hours after Co’s video surfaced, Rep. Marcos issued a strongly worded statement dismissing the accusations as baseless and politically motivated.
“I hope that the public can be reminded that we are talking of a person with no credibility whose vested interests are to release these videos to destabilize the government,” Marcos said.
He accused Co of attempting to stir political chaos to escape his own legal troubles, claiming intelligence reports suggest Co has struck deals with groups seeking to undermine the administration.
“HINDI ITO REBELASYON, ITO AY DESTABILISASYON,” Marcos stressed, branding Co’s claims as lies.
He went further, calling the former lawmaker the “newly-crowned champion of the DDS cabal,” referring to Duterte Diehard Supporters.
Marcos also reminded the public of Co’s own controversies, noting that the ex-congressman was removed as appropriations chairman in January 2025 due to “insatiable greed and corruption.”
Co, however, had previously said he stepped down due to medical reasons.
“Sa aking mga kababayan, si Zaldy Co ay hindi po isang journalist o truth crusader. Siya po ay isang kriminal na umiiwas sa hustisya,” Marcos declared, rejecting Co’s self-styled image as a whistleblower. (Ellson Quismorio)
