Screengrab from Zaldy Co

Former Congressman Zaldy Co finally broke his silence, claiming he was pressured, threatened, and used by top officials in the administration to cover up a P100‑billion budget insertion during the bicameral conference committee.

According to Co, the order to insert the controversial projects came straight from the offices of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and Former Speaker Martin Romualdez.

“If they don’t kill me first, I will release everything.”

Co said he fears for his safety, alleging that the administration tried to silence him.

“They told me I would be shot if I talked. But I won’t be silent anymore. I will release receipts, evidence, and names.”

He said he understands why many Filipinos are angry, but asked the public to hear him out as he reveals the full story.

Ordered to Stay Out of the Country

Co explained why he left the country and why he kept quiet for months.

He said he left for a medical checkup on July 19, 2025, and planned to return after the President’s SONA. But while he was abroad, he received a call from former Speaker Martin Romualdez.

According to him, Romualdez told him:

“Stay out of the country. You will be taken care of. That is the President’s instruction.”

Co said he trusted them at first—which is why he didn’t return. But later, he realized something darker was happening.

“I didn’t know they would use me as a shield for their corruption. They made me the poster boy for their own wrongdoing.”

The P100 Billion Instruction

Co claimed that during the Bicam process last year, Secretary Mina Pangandaman called him to relay the President’s order.

“She said the President wanted ₱100 billion worth of projects inserted into the Bicam.”

Co said he immediately contacted Usec. Adrian Bersamin to confirm if the President really gave such an instruction.

According to him:

“Usec Adrian confirmed it was true.”

He then said he called Romualdez to report it, and the former Speaker allegedly told him,

“What the President wants, he gets.”

The Meeting at Malacañang

A few days later, Co says he met with Sec. Pangandaman, Usec Bersamin, Usec Jojo Cadiz, and Martin Romualdez at the Aguado building near Gate 4 in Malacañang.

During this meeting, Co says Usec Bersamin handed him a list of projects worth ₱100 billion, which he claimed came directly from President Marcos—taken from a brown leather bag.

This bag, he said, matched the same one he had seen handled carefully by Marcos after the 2022 elections when they were in Singapore.

Only P50 Billion Could Fit—The Rest Goes to ‘Unprogrammed Funds’

Co added that after some days, he was told that only P50 billion could be placed in programmed funds because the DPWH allocations were already too large.

The other P50 billion, he claimed, was instructed to be placed under unprogrammed funds for the 2025 budget—funds that the President also has control over.

When Co relayed this back to Secretary Pangandaman, he said she told him there was no room for negotiations because:

“The King's orders cannot be broken.”

“Why is the President saying he doesn’t know?”

Co said he is confused why President Marcos now claims he doesn’t know anything about the budget insertions when, according to him, all the instructions came from the President’s office, and all added amounts required approval from Sec. Pangandaman.

He says he is ready to face all consequences:

“I will reveal all the truth. I will no longer be silent.”