By CESAR JOLITO III
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. declined to comment on allegations made by former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co linking him to supposed budget insertions in the government’s anomalous flood control project.
“If you want to talk about the storm, we’ll talk about that. I don’t even want to dignify what he is saying,” Marcos told reporters in an ambush interview during his visit to Negros Occidental on Saturday, November 15.
The President’s remarks came on the same day Co released a new video on social media, alleging that Marcos received a portion of supposed “insertions” in the proposed 2025 national budget.
In what he called a second installment of his disclosures on corruption in government flood control projects, Co claimed that the President received 25 percent of an alleged P100 billion in budget insertions for public works.
Co further claimed that he, his staff, and his security personnel “personally delivered” suitcases of money to three locations: residences in North Forbes Park and South Forbes Park, and even to Malacañang.
“All the insertions went to our President and to Speaker Martin Romualdez,” Co said in the video, adding that the alleged share intended for the Office of the President amounted to P25 billion.
He also said he asked the Department of Public Works and Highways what the supposed “SOP” or standard kickback rate was, claiming that he was told it was 25 percent.
Co did not elaborate on the alleged share of House Speaker Romualdez.
Focus on relief efforts
Meanwhile, Marcos said he chose instead to focus on government relief and recovery efforts for communities devastated by Typhoon “Tino.”
Marcos met evacuees, assessed the extent of housing and infrastructure damage, and coordinated with local officials on accelerating recovery operations.
La Castellana town reported widespread destruction across multiple barangays, with thousands of families displaced and major road networks still undergoing clearing operations.
Marcos visited evacuation centers and inspected damaged infrastructure in the town, one of the worst-hit localities in Negros Occidental, with some cabinet secretaries as well as local and provincial government officials./CJ, WDJ