Zaldy Co won’t come home, cites threats
Resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co is not returning home soon to face the allegations over his role in the budget insertions and kickbacks from allegedly anomalous flood control projects.
Co’s lawyer, Ruy Rondain, said at a media briefing on Wednesday at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay City, that the former lawmaker wanted to personally respond to the issues but could not do so at this time because of security concerns.
“Representative Co would have wanted to be here himself to answer your questions. Unfortunately, there are credible and serious threats to his life. He has a general fear of being shot—whether by a vigilante or a political enemy he doesn’t even know,” Rondain noted.
The only time Co would consider returning to the Philippines is when “the threat to his life [has] abated,” he added. “We’ll see him as soon as the fear of violence against him abates. So, I don’t know. Might be next week, might be January. I don’t know.”
As of now, Rondain said coming home is not an option for his client because of the “serious threats to his life.”
“One half of the country wants to throw him in jail and throw away the key. The other half wants to string him up by the nearest tree. Would you come home under those circumstances? I wouldn’t recommend that he come home,” Rondain said.
Co was linked to alleged irregularities in the P289.5-million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
In its first interim report, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) urged the Office of the Ombudsman to determine the appropriate charges to be filed against 18 public officials, including Co.
A month later, the commission recommended criminal and administrative charges against Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, Co, and three others in connection with suspected “ghost” flood control projects.
The recommendations stemmed from an alleged kickback scheme, based on sworn affidavits and corroborating evidence from former Department of Public Works and Highways engineers Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza.
Addressing questions about Co’s whereabouts, Rondain said he does not know where the former lawmaker is now.
“Let me get ahead of the inevitable question: I don’t know where he is. I never asked, because it’s not relevant to his defense,” Rondain said. “And frankly, I didn’t want to be in a position where I’d have to lie to anyone if I were asked that question. So no, I don’t know where he is.”
He disclosed that the last information he received about Co’s whereabouts was that he was in Boston, sometime between September and October, for medical reasons.
Rondain said he was able to speak with Co “last night,” but could not say where he has been staying overseas.
“And I don’t want to lie to you… I’m telling you honestly that I don’t know because I never asked him. Again, because that knowledge is not relevant to me at this time,” he said.
“I’m not saying that he was in Boston last night when I talked to him,” he quickly clarified.
When he resigned as congressman on Sept. 29, Co also cited “grave and imminent threat.”
He sought clearance to fly to the United States only in August, but he never showed up at any of the sessions since the 20th Congress opened in July.
Hearsay
Rondain, who also served as counsel for former Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo in his tax cases, also dismissed as “hearsay and speculation” the ongoing probe into the purported massive corruption in public infrastructure projects that implicated Co in the various kickback schemes.
For him, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla had already “prejudged” the possible cases against Co and that there is “no tactical benefit” to filing a counteraffidavit in the Office of the Ombudsman.
Net worth
This, however, was refuted by Brian Hosaka, executive director of the ICI.
All the recommendations for the filing of charges that the fact-finding panel had so far filed were “on the basis of the testimonies and on the basis of the evidence given to us” and testimonies from personalities who themselves admitted involvement, Hosaka said.
The ICI has recommended the filing of plunder, bribery and corruption charges against Co and five other officials for allegedly being part of a multimillion-peso kickback scheme behind public works projects.
Rondain also pointed out that Co had a net worth of P4.1 billion in 2019, the year he was elected to the House.
The lawyer did not show a copy of Co’s 2019 statement of assets, liabilities and net worth but said he was willing to provide one.
