The Malacañang Palace has dismissed as “pure hearsay” the accusations former Congressman Zaldy Co leveled against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., insisting that Co must return to the Philippines and make a sworn statement if he intends to stand by his claims.
Appearing before the Palace press corps on Friday, November 14, Communications Secretary Dave Gomez said Co should “come back to the country and sign everything he said under oath with the proper judicial authorities.”
Budget Secretary Amenah “Mina” Pangandaman, who is accused of phoning him the president’s instructions, also addressed the allegation that Marcos tapped the former legislator to make insertions in the national budget during the bicameral conference committee. Pangandaman stressed that the Office of the President has no role in the bicam, casting doubt on the logic of routing budget insertions through the bicam instead of making them while the draft was still with the executive.
Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro, meanwhile, noted that the president vetoed P194 billion worth of items in the proposed budget, making Co’s claim that Marcos ordered an additional P100 billion in projects “less believable.”
When asked whether the president can guarantee Co’s safe return to the Philippines, given Co’s claim of a “grave threat” to his life, Castro replied, “Hindi po ba dapat siya ang magpatunay kung may banta sa buhay niya?”
Castro also said the president has no plans to press charges against Co for his accusations yet. “Sabi niya [sa video], ‘Abangan ang part 2.’ So, malamang gagawa na naman ito ng panibagong kuwento dahil nadinig na niya kung anong sinabi natin,” she said. “So, abangan natin kung ano na namang tahi-tahing kuwento ang inyong madidinig mula sa kaniya.”
