Resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co escalated his corruption allegations on Tuesday, releasing a new video that directly targets presidential son Rep. Sandro Marcos, accusing him of inserting ₱50.9 billion into the national budget across three years. Co claimed Sandro funneled ₱9.6B (2023), ₱20.1B (2024), and ₱21.1B (2025) into various allocations — calling it proof that alleged “insertions” go beyond the President and extend to his family.
Co also alleged that Sandro attempted to pressure him into accommodating an ₱8-billion insertion, supposedly because “contractors had already advanced payments” tied to the request. Co said Sandro threatened to remove him from his post and file cases against him when he refused to include the amount.
Sandro Marcos fired back within hours, calling Co’s accusations “fantastical lies” and branding the former Ako Bicol representative as a fugitive trying to “destabilize the administration.” He said Co’s removal as House appropriations chair stemmed from “insatiable greed,” not political retaliation. “This is not whistleblowing — this is evasion,” Sandro said, urging Filipinos not to fall for claims from someone “running from justice.”
The clash marks the latest escalation in the widening corruption firestorm surrounding alleged budget insertions at the bicameral conference committee. Co — now facing a warrant of arrest — has also previously accused President Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez of receiving billions in kickbacks. The President responded by challenging Co to “come home and face the charges,” while authorities have already detained eight DPWH officials linked to the ghost-project scandal.
Screen grabbed from Rep. Zaldy Co FB