Former lawmaker Zaldy Co alleges that President Bongbong Marcos and then–House Speaker Martin Romualdez directed him to insert around ₱100 billion in infrastructure projects into the 2025 national budget.
According to Co, the directive came during budget negotiations in late 2024. He says the instruction was confirmed by Budget Secretary Ameenah Pangandaman and Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin, who were present during meetings with Marcos.
Co claims they met in Malacañang along with other officials, and he was handed a list of projects in a “brown leather bag”—allegedly from Marcos himself. The list reportedly includes infrastructure programs worth about ₱81 billion, such as:
- Roads and highways (slope protection, cross-country roads, and viaducts)
- Flood-control works and riverbank structures
- Bridges, coastal roads, and shore protection
- Upgrades to drainage systems, solar lighting, and road safety installations
- Rehabilitation of key road networks
Additionally, Co says some funds were allocated to other initiatives, including ₱5.4 billion for hosting the 2026 ASEAN Summit and ₱5 billion for the DICT’s “Common Tower Project” under the Free Public Internet Access Fund.
Reactions & Controversy:
- Malacañang has denied Co’s claims, calling them “pure hearsay.”
- Authorities have deferred comment while verifying the allegations.
- If verified, Co’s claims could tie into broader concerns about “ghost” projects, which have sparked investigations in recent months.