Leaders of various political parties in the House of Representatives on Monday voiced concern over what they described as unimaginable claims of resigned Ako Bicol party-list representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co in relation to alleged massive corruption in the flood control projects of the Marcos administration.
House Deputy Speaker and Antipolo City Rep. Ronaldo Puno and Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong likewise laughed off at Co’s allegation that former speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez threatened to shoot him.
“You’re talking about our party president (Romualdez)… Let’s not make this into a platform for drama, like some kind of soap opera,” Adiong said in a mix of English and Filipino, adding it was never Romualdez’s character to be violent.
“This only happened in movies… Maybe he’s (Co) been abroad for so long, he has nothing else to do and just watches Netflix,” the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) member said.
Adiong also defended Romualdez from the Co’s claims: “All of us can testify that he has no inch of violence in his system… this person has zero tendency to become violent. I can say that, for someone who has been working closely [with him]. I think DS Puno can also say that.”
“There’s no violence in the system of the former speaker. That’s why the entire House voted him twice as a Speaker, because we know how steady his leadership is, and the service he gives,” Adiong said.
Puno echoed the Assistant Majority Leader’s views, saying Co’s claims seem far-fetched as it is not in Romualdez’s personality to have someone shot.
“I mean, an accusation like that is so bad, and if it really has no basis, maybe we shouldn’t entertain it, don’t you think?… Maybe we should also filter what we choose to believe,” the National Unity Party (NUP) chairman said.
The two lawmakers were referring to the third video of Co that was uploaded on his social media.
“As early as March 2025, Speaker [Romualdez] was already hinting to me in our meeting that he would shoot me if I talked. And after he told me in a phone call, ‘Don’t come home, we will take care of you,’ Speaker Martin called again and told me that if I came home, it would be dangerous because they might hire someone to do a rubout on me or hire the police to kill me while in jail,” Co alleged.
