Zaldy Co, whistleblower?

Zaldy Co is certainly one of many individuals most educated in regards to the funds fiasco. However is he actually the reluctant confederate he claims to be?

MANILA, Philippines – Zaldy Co lastly broke his silence after months of being dragged into the flood management scandal by linking President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to 100 billion pesos in funds insertions on the bicameral convention committee. 

Co is certainly one of many individuals most educated in regards to the funds fiasco. Quite a few personalities — Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez, Roberto Bernardo, and Orly Guteza — have name-dropped him. 

However is he actually the reluctant confederate he claims to be?

Previous to coming into elective workplace, he constructed Sunwest, a most popular Division of Public Works and Highways contractor, and whose fortunes soared larger when he turned Home appropriations chairman in 2022. 

Finances consultants consider he stays a helpful proprietor regardless of his divestment.

Other than its dwelling area Bicol, Sunwest obtained billions of pesos in contracts in Japanese Visayas, significantly Leyte, the bailiwick of his once-ally Martin Romualdez.

Even the enterprise of Hello-Tone, the corporate based by his brother, flourished throughout Co’s time as congressman.

He was eliminated — though he claimed he resigned — as appropriations chairman in January 2025, solely weeks after Marcos vetoed P194 billion in initiatives within the 2025 nationwide funds, which critics described as closely mangled.

Co has been in and overseas since then. He nonetheless campaigned in-person for Ako Bicol within the 2025 elections, however he mentioned he had gone overseas someday in July, earlier than the State of the Nation Deal with. 

He turned the face of presidency corruption outrage over the general public works fiasco, which boiled over into days of anti-government protests, the most important that the nation has seen in years.

He determined to resign from Congress after refusing to face calls from new Speaker Bojie Dy — who revoked his journey clearance — to go dwelling.

The Marcos administration, which Co was once allied with, seems prepared to desert him. The Division of Public Works and Highways has even requested the Anti-Cash Laundering Council to freeze the air property of Misibis Aviation, an organization co-owned by Co.

Co claimed there are severe threats to his life, and in his first video assertion, alleged that Marcos and Romualdez are framing him to be “the poster boy of their very own lies.”

Be part of the Philippine politics chat room of the Rappler app for extra updates on Co and the flood management corruption scandal. – Rappler.com