MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday forcefully shrugged off fresh allegations by former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co linking him to an alleged P100-billion budget insertion scheme, saying the claims did not merit even a response.
Speaking to reporters during his visit to La Castellana, Negros Occidental, Marcos made clear he would not validate Co’s accusations, which have intensified in a series of online videos.
“I don’t want to even dignify what he is saying,” Marcos said when pressed for comment.
Co recently released two videos on Facebook accusing Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez of ordering the inclusion of P100 billion worth of insertions in the 2025 national budget.
In his second video, uploaded Saturday, Co claimed the entire amount was supposedly meant for Marcos and Romualdez — even alleging that the President received P25 billion in “SOP” funds delivered in suitcases to Malacañang.
Malacañang quickly rejected the allegations as baseless. Presidential Communications Office acting Secretary Dave Gomez said Co had produced no evidence to support his claims.
“We may begin to sound like a broken record. What he is saying is a bunch of hearsay. Sabi nito, sabi ni ano. Hindi nag-rewrite ng script sa second video kahit na kanal na yung una,” Gomez said.
Gomez again challenged Co — who has also been linked to alleged irregularities in flood-control projects — to return to the country and formally answer the accusations he faces.
“We continue to issue the same challenge. Come home, sign these under oath, and face the music,” he added./PN
