Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co has once again rejected corruption allegations linking him to anomalous infrastructure projects, this time raised during a Senate blue ribbon committee hearing.
In a statement on Tuesday, Co maintained that the accusations were “false and baseless,” stressing that he will only respond in the “proper forum” when the time comes.
Former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara earlier testified that Co pushed for projects in his district after a meeting at Shangri-La Bonifacio. According to him, the budget insertions eventually appeared in the 2022 General Appropriations Act, amounting to around ₱35 billion over four years. He also claimed to have delivered kickbacks to Co depending on the project.
Supporting Alcantara’s testimony, ex-assistant Bulacan engineer Brice Hernandez said he, along with engineer Jaypee Mendoza, helped move an estimated ₱1 billion in cash — allegedly stuffed into more than 20 suitcases loaded into several vans — to Co’s penthouse unit at Shangri-La Hotel in Taguig. Hernandez added that while he did not personally deal with Co, he saw the lawmaker meet Alcantara, his former boss.
This is not the first time the Ako Bicol representative has been implicated. On September 8, he dismissed earlier accusations from contractor-couple Pacifico and Cezarah Discaya as “politically motivated” and based on hearsay. The couple had accused several lawmakers, including Co and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, of demanding a percentage from government projects — a claim Romualdez also branded “false and malicious.”
Adding to his troubles, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco has filed a complaint against Co before the House ethics committee, citing violations of the Constitution, the Code of Conduct for Public Officials, and House rules. Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III recently revoked Co’s travel clearance and gave him 10 days to return and face the allegations.
