House panel may summon Rep. Co if linked to flood control mess

THE House joint probe may summon Ako-Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co if evidence emerges linking him to irregularities in flood control contracts, according to Public Accounts Chair Terry Ridon on Wednesday.

“If there is evidence of an anomalous transaction… connected to him, we are obligated to invite him,” Ridon said.

However, Ridon also stated that Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco’s allegation regarding Co’s budget insertions would be better addressed by the Appropriations Committee, as the current investigation is focused on ghost and substandard projects.

“The Appropriations Committee is probably a good committee for it, if he wants to reform the budget process. I’m not quite certain how this [position of Congressman Tiangco] is relevant on flood control,” the solon explained.

“We have to be very clear that what the nation wants is really to have actual accountability on what had happened in some standard and ghost projects. Issues relating to budget insertion, congressional initiatives, will have its day. Because this [is] an investigation on actual flood control projects,” Ridon emphasized.

The panel will next examine flood control projects that President Marcos Jr. himself inspected and found to be substandard. This follows Bulacan engineer Henry Alcantara’s admission that he signed the certificate of completion for the P55-million ghost project in Baliwag.