FORMER congressman Zaldy Co escalated his allegations of P100-billion insertions in the national budget on Saturday, claiming in a new video that he personally delivered the funds to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and former speaker Martin Romualdez.
“It was just me and my staff, Paul Estrada, Mark Tecsay and my security guards who delivered to the houses of President Bongbong Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez in North Forbes Park, South Forbes Park up to Malacañang. My people have a record of those deliveries,” Co said in the video, which also included photos of suitcases he claims were used to transport the money.
The Presidential Communications Office’s Acting Secretary, Dave Gomez, swiftly refuted Co’s statements, dismissing them as “a bunch of hearsay.”
“We may begin to sound like a broken record. What he is saying is a bunch of hearsay. Sabi nito, sabi ni ano. Hindi nag rewrite ng script sa second video kahit na kanal na yung una,” Gomez told reporters, reiterating the challenge for Co to return to the Philippines, sign his allegations under oath, and “face the music.”
Malacañang previously described Co’s initial video as “wild allegations” without basis in fact.
In the video, Co also supported claims made by his alleged former security aide, Orly Guteza, who in September claimed to have delivered luggage of money. Co stated, “It is true what Orly Guteza is saying, that he delivered to Forbes Park. It is also true what Orly Guteza is saying, that he delivered to Malacañang when he was in the Senate.”
However, the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) found in October that the signature on Guteza’s affidavit was not that of the lawyer whose name appeared on the document. Guteza has since disappeared from the public eye.
metrosundaily
