Ellis Co has spoken and yet it raises more questions than answers.
The son of Congressman Zaldy Co urged his father to “appear before the people” in a statement claiming he “chose not to participate” in the lawmaker’s alleged corrupt practices. The Ako Bicol representative has left the country since being implicated in the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) ghost flood control projects.
In his social media statement posted on Wednesday night, September 24, Ellis said, “Though I bear my last name, I’ve always tried to separate myself from that affiliation. It can’t be denied that I was born into privilege. Despite this, I’ve always pushed to give back, especially to the community and to the industry I’ve long admired.”
The fashion designer admitted that his mother, Mylene, helped fund shows for his label .ARCHIVES, one of which was held at his father’s Misibis Bay Resort in Bacacay, Albay in 2023.
Ellis also said, “I found out about the full extent of the allegations the same way everyone else did.” He said he “repeatedly declined offers to participate in politics or any government-related opportunities,” and that when his father entered politics, their relationship as father and son became “vague” and distant. “I am deeply ashamed, and I wish for nothing but the truth to come out.”
However, a Rappler reporter pointed out in a comment under Ellis’s post that he is a shareholder in Misibis Land, Inc. and Embarcadero, sister companies of Sunwest Inc., and that his name appears in documents of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other commenters echoed doubts about Ellis’ statement, pointing out the inconsistencies in his claims that he distanced himself from his family and received their support.
Sunwest, co-founded by Zaldy and his brother Christopher, is one of the top-paid contracting firms being investigated for anomalies in the flood control projects. Christopher also owns another firm currently under the probe, Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corporation.
Where’s Zaldy?
On September 4, the House of Representatives confirmed that Zaldy Co flew to the U.S. to seek medical treatment for an unspecified ailment. By then, he had already been absent from the House for at least a month. Rappler reports that he was not present when Congress convened on July 28, the day President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. called on the government to investigate the flood control projects in his State of the Nation Address.
Online records from U.S. Customs and Border Protection indicate that Zaldy arrived in New York on July 20 and departed on August 1, before returning on August 26 and leaving again on September 13.
Zaldy left the country on a travel clearance, but Cong. Faustino “Bojie” Dy III revoked the clearance days after replacing Leyte First District Rep. Martin Romualdez as House speaker.
Zaldy is accused of being involved in the alleged kickback scheme plaguing government flood control projects as the former chair of the House Committee on Appropriations. Former DPWH Bulacan District Engineers Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez said in a Senate hearing on Tuesday, September 23, that they had delivered kickbacks to Zaldy in his Pasig residence and in the parking lot of a Taguig hotel where the congressman owned a penthouse.
As of this writing, Zaldy’s whereabouts have not been confirmed. Dy said that he will act on the ethics complaint against Zaldy filed by Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, who cited the missing solon’s “betrayal of public trust.”
