President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. revealed on Wednesday that a lawyer representing former lawmaker Zaldy Co allegedly approached the government with a proposition he described as an attempt at coercion.
In a recorded message, the President recounted that the lawyer supposedly suggested Co would stop issuing video statements if authorities refrained from revoking his passport. Marcos said this interaction was presented to him as a form of pressure linked to the former legislator’s ongoing issues with the law.
The President delivered the allegation bluntly. “Lastly, meron po akong ibabanggit sa inyo. Nilapitan po kami ng abogado ni Zaldy Co at nagtatangkang mag-blackmail na kung hindi po namin kakanselahin daw ang passport niya, hindi na raw siya maglalabas ng video,” he said.
Marcos emphasized that he would not entertain demands coming from individuals facing criminal allegations. “I do not negotiate with criminals. Kahit maglabas ka na ng video ng lahat ng kasinungalingan mo na pag-destabilize sa gobyerno. Gusto kong malaman mo Zaldy makakansela pa rin ang passport mo. Hindi ka na makakatakas sa hustisya,” he added.
