“We have to believe that we Filipinos can stop this kind of unbridled corruption”
FORMER Rep. Zaldy Co, one of the main actors that have been mentioned in the ongoing flood control corruption scandal, has taken to the airwaves and gone on the offensive.
His fourth and latest video expose’ released last Tuesday detailed how billions have been delivered by him personally and some by his aides and divided between PBBM himself and his cousin former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
This time around also, he implicated the son of PBBM, Rep. Sandro Marcos as one of the beneficiaries. Co’s initial salvo several days ago also resulted in the replacement of three Cabinet rank officials working directly in the President’s office.
Co’s main contention is that PBBM and his cousin Romualdez are the brains and principal beneficiaries of the flood control corruption scandal.
He also emphasized that although he was responsible in bringing dozens of suitcases full of money to both gentlemen, he never benefitted financially in the transaction which is unbelievable to many.
And reading between the lines, Co would want the public to believe he was simply thrown under the bus when no longer needed.
His problem, however, is he is not here and his statements have not been subscribed or sworn to, thereby rendering his story as mere hearsay and therefore legally worthless.
There are also reliable and credible witnesses attesting to the non-involvement of PBBM plus the fact that he did veto the alleged insertions.
As his allies are also saying, PBBM could have simply included the P100B in the National Expenditure Program which after all originated from his office in the first place.
Co therefore has a tough decision to make.
This is whether to come home and swear to his statements and satisfy some sectors who do believe in what he is saying or simply stay wherever he is and continue his video revelations hoping civil society will do something the government cannot ignore. Detention without bail after all is a strong disincentive on his part that he perhaps is not willing to accept.
He must also remember, that flight is often associated with guilt.
Right now, the public wants a big fish that they believe Co can help unmask but if he does not come home and swear to his statements, this will probably not be possible.
For instance, some quarters are thinking there is an apparent effort by the government at damage control limiting it only to those officials already mentioned which is unsettling these groups.
In spite of all these, however, the public should keep in mind that when it comes to disbursing government funds, there is always a money trail down to the last centavo.
All the money being mentioned by Co and former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernado can therefore actually be traced to where it went, which bank it was transacted and who signed for the documents.
A lot of the money were admittedly advanced by contractors but the billions mentioned could be traced.
As I have written in previous articles on the subject, this scandal can still be investigated if the result of all the government investigations are not satisfactory to the public.
Any group of qualified non-government organizations or individuals with investigative skills can do it.
The money in all those suitcases did not just sprout from out of nowhere but is a product of a series of government actions starting from the advice of allotment which culminates in the bank withdrawals of the billions of pesos distributed to corrupt officials.
The problem is, everyone appears to be involved like the COA, DPWH officials, politicians and office accountants which makes it difficult but not impossible to investigate.
There has to be someone out there who will not sell his soul to the devil and can be trusted to do it right.
It will be the paper trail that will tell the whole story and it will be something we can believe unlike some of the things we are hearing nowadays which as they say, hindi kapanipaniwala.
After everything is said and done, we have to believe that we Filipinos can stop this kind of unbridled corruption.
Otherwise, this insatiable greed will consume the very soul of our nation.
