DILG, ICI execs view cells for ‘cong-tractors’
Resigned former lawmaker Zaldy Co, along with other congressmen, may be included in the first batch of flood control cases set to be filed before the Sandiganbayan in November, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said.
In an ambush interview at the Senate on Friday, Remulla said Co is “most likely included” in the initial batch of cases to be filed before the antigraft court.
“I don’t have the complete list. But many names are on it, including some congressmen,” Remulla said in Filipino.
“Most likely included because I remember seeing a Mindoro case filed,” he added when asked specifically if Co would be charged.
Aside from Bulacan, where former government engineers testified that he was involved in budget insertions that ballooned to at least P35 billion from 2022 to 2025, Co was also recently implicated in a similar project in Mindoro.
They further claimed that kickbacks were delivered to Co, including one alleged delivery of P1 billion in cash packed into more than 20 suitcases and transported in several vans to his penthouse unit at a luxury hotel in Taguig.
Meanwhile, Remulla also said he is uncertain whether any senators will be included in the first batch of cases expected in November.
“As for senators, I am not sure if any are included,” he said at the Senate hearing on the proposed 2026 budget of the Ombudsman. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian noted that sometimes it takes up to two to three years to file cases before at Sandiganbayan.
But Remulla said that since the start of October, when he was still justice secretary and was just starting to pay attention to corruption cases exposed by President Marcos in his last State of the Nation Address.
“What’s good about this turning into a crisis of sorts is that we thought of ways to fast-track cases,” said Remulla.
“Hopefully, within 30 days we will be able to file before the Sandiganbayan. That’s possible.”
‘No special treatment’
Also on Friday, the Ombudsman’s brother, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, said government personnel indicted for their involvement in the flood control scandal will receive “no special treatment.”
“Absolutely no special treatment, especially in the floodgate [scandal]. If they are involved and have been indicted in court, they will be treated as regular inmates. If you stole P100, you’ll be jailed here. If you stole P100 million, you’ll also be jailed here,” the interior secretary said in Filipino.
Jonvic visited the Pasay City Jail on Thursday and said all accused under Salary Grade 27, or those earning P126,252 and below, will stay in a common cell that can house 50 to 100 individuals.
Those with higher salary grades will face trial before the Sandiganbayan, but Jonvic said he expects “around 200 to 250 people will be indicted” in connection with the flood control projects.
“This estimate is based on what I saw during the Senate hearings. The Ombudsman, senators, district engineers, ‘cong-tractors’ (a term for congressmen who act as contractors) and the Commission on Audit were among those who certified the ghost projects as ‘complete,’” he said in Filipino.
