Toby Tiangco files ethics complaint vs. Zaldy Co amid claims of budget insertions, infra project kickbacks, prolonged absence
Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco on Tuesday, Sept. 23, filed an ethics complaint against Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co amid budget insertion allegations and prolonged absence in relation to the multi-billion-peso flood control scandal.
In his Sept. 22 complaint addressed to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Tiangco said Co, the former chairman of the House appropriations committee, violated the 1987 Constitution, the Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and the House rules.
Tiangco noted that Article XI, Section 1 of the Constitution states that public office is a public trust.
"He masterminded, tolerated, and deliberately allowed last-minute insertions and realignments," Tiangco said of Co. "Consequently, the 2025 General Appropriations Act has been considered as the most scandalous, corrupt, and highly irregular budget."
Tiangco noted that the small committee inserted billions of pesos up to the bicameral committee, and the insertions "bypassed priority projects and cast serious doubts on the legitimacy of purpose."
"Noticeably, certain foreign-assisted projects were diverted to unprogrammed appropriations," he said. "The justification for these acts remains a mystery to every member because the small committee had no committee reports, minutes of meetings, or any written explanation filed at the archives of the House of Representatives. They remain as secrets and puzzles only Representative Co can explain."
'Silent and beyond reach'
Amid growing public clamor for transparency and accountability, Tiangco noted that Co "remains silent and beyond reach."
"He was duty-bound to ensure faithful compliance with constitutional and legal parameters in the budgetary process," he said. "With all the lingering issues on the 2025 budget insertions, Representative Co undoubtedly betrayed public's trust and ruined the reputation of the institution he ought to protect."
Tiangco also cited Co being absent since the opening of the 20th Congress on July 28 "allegedly due to medical reasons."
"However, no copy of his medical certificates has been submitted to the House and to the public. Consequently, his absence remained unsubstantiated," he said.
With that, Tiangco noted that Co violated Section 4(b) of RA 6713, which states, "Public officials and employees shall perform and discharge their duties with the highest degree of excellence, professionalism, intelligence, and skill. They shall enter public service with utmost devotion and dedication to duty. They shall endeavor to discourage wrong perceptions of their roles as dispensers or peddlers of undue patronage."
Tiangco said Co's family also indulged in "extravagant or ostentatious display of wealth in the eyes of the public," thereby violating Section 4(h), which states, "Public officials and employees and their families shall lead modest lives appropriate to their positions and income. They shall not indulge in extravagant or ostentatious display of wealth in any form."
Tiangco also noted that Co’s family business, Sunwest Inc., secured over P86 billion in government infrastructure contracts since 2016. Of that amount, around P40.2 billion was awarded in Bicol, where Co's family "maintains deep political and business roots."
"Based on the foregoing, Representative Co could have acquired and received personal pecuniary interest during his incumbency as member of the House of Representatives," Tiangco said.
This, he said, was a violation of the four provisions of Rule XX of the House rules:
a) A Member shall act at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House;
b) A Member may not receive compensation or any pecuniary interest and may not permit compensation or any pecuniary interest to accrue to the Member’s beneficial interest from any source, the receipt of which would occur by virtue of influence improperly exerted from the Member’s position in Congress;
g) A Member shall not intervene in any matter before any office of the government for personal pecuniary benefit or where the Member may be called upon to act on account of the Member’s office;
h) A Member shall not acquire or receive any personal pecuniary interest in any specific business enterprise which will be directly and particularly favored or benefited by any law or resolution authored by the Member that is approved or adopted by Congress during the Member’s term. It shall be unlawful for the Member to continue to retain such interest thirty (30) days after such approval.
Tiangco said that he'd also filed a supplementary complaint based on the developments in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Tuesday.
Dismissed district engineer Henry Alcantara accused Co of receiving kickbacks from infrastructure projects in Bulacan.
Sacked assistant engineer Brice Hernandez claimed that about P1 billion in cash was packed in more than 20 suitcases, with P50 million each. Hernandez said these were transported to six or seven vans to be delivered to Co's penthouse at Shangri-La Hotel in Taguig.
Another dismissed assistant engineer, Jaypee Mendoza, said there were also cash deliveries to Co's residence in Pasig.
On Sept. 19, newly minted House Speaker Bojie Dy formally revoked Co's travel clearance and ordered his immediate return to the Philippines within 10 days after receipt of notice.
According to The Philippine STAR, Filipinos living in the US were urged to report to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding Co's whereabouts.
Flood control mess
Hearings at the House of Representatives and the Senate revealed billions of pesos lost to corruption, which prompted the formation of the Independent Commission on Infrastructure that will specifically investigate irregularities in flood control projects in the last 10 years.
On Sept. 11, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon filed criminal complaints against officials of the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office and four private contractors linked to such anomalies.
The government has also frozen the bank accounts of the contractors and DPWH officials with alleged involvement in the issue.
On Sept. 21, thousands of Filipinos took to the streets to protest corruption in flood control initiatives. In Metro Manila, the “Baha sa Luneta” rally, which was organized by activist groups and university students, saw thousands of people on the streets by Sunday morning. The “Trillion Peso March” that afternoon, referring to the trillions allegedly lost to systemic corruption, at the People Power Monument on EDSA saw the closure of all northbound lanes due to the swelling of the crowd.
