“We cannot accept cinematic videos filmed abroad as substitutes for facts”
Rep. Zaldy Co’s latest video was pure theater, a calculated attempt to stir up massive noise. It was dramatic, emotional, and aimed squarely at suggesting serious misconduct at the top levels of our leadership.
But drama is not proof.
Claims that touch the integrity of the Office of the President and the Speaker of the House demand one thing: real, verifiable evidence. We cannot accept cinematic videos filmed abroad as substitutes for facts.
The claim collapses immediately
Co’s most explosive statement is his claim he personally delivered suitcases of cash to Malacañang and to Speaker Martin Romualdez.
This allegation collapses the moment it’s scrutinized.
A claim of this magnitude—personally handing money to the President or the Speaker—cannot be accepted based on words alone. It requires a clear, indisputable trail: documents, records, or logs.
Co showed pictures of luggage, claiming they contained cash for the Palace. I call that what it is: a picture of bags. There is zero verification of where they were taken, who handled them, or, most importantly, what they contained. There’s no proof these bags even made it to the Palace.
If these deliveries truly happened, there would be a paper trail.
The silence where that evidence should be is far louder than the claim itself.
Contradictions tell the story
A truth-based story is consistent. Co’s narrative is riddled with contradictions, immediately raising questions about his credibility:
- Co claims he delivered money, yet
- Co claims he never received money.
- Co claims he acted under pressure, yet
- Co claims he is now exposing the truth.
You can’t present two opposing statements and expect both to be true.
When a story conflicts with itself, it’s not the truth—it’s a sign that the narrative is fundamentally broken.
Show the Evidence Where It Matters
If Co’s allegations were truly grounded in truth, he knows what he needs to do: present them here at home, under oath, before the institutions empowered to test their validity.
His choice to film a video overseas, safely removed from cross-examination, is glaring.
The public record already shows President Marcos Jr. vetoed (P194 billion) in questionable budget items. A leader who demonstrably removes dubious allocations is not one secretly inserting them.
Co’s story changes. What remains unchanged, despite the drama, is the complete absence of proof .
If there is no evidence, then it is not truth. The nation should not be distracted by allegations that have nothing solid behind them.
Noise can stir chaos, but it cannot rewrite facts.
Until Co submits real evidence—under oath, in the proper forum—his allegations remain just what they are: stories told from afar, not truths tested at home.
(The writer, a doctor of philosophy holder, serves as Chairman Emeritus of Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), Peoples Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (PADER), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI), and the Filipinos Do Not Yield (FDNY) Movement.)
