DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/November 18) – Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte has called for a legislative inquiry into allegations of P100 billion budget insertions in the 2025 national budget involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former Speaker Martin G. Romualdez.
Duterte filed a resolution on Tuesday directing the appropriate House committee to investigate the claims made by former Ako Bicol Party-list representative Zaldy Co, who implicated Marcos and Romualdez in an alleged corruption scandal.
Co’s allegations, detailed in video recordings, accuse the two officials of intervening during the 2025 Bicameral Conference Committee. The resolution cited Co’s posted list of projects, amounts, and contractors linked to the alleged insertions, urging further scrutiny.
On November 15, acting Presidential Communications Office secretary Dave Gomez dismissed Co’s claims as “hearsay” and challenged him to return to the Philippines and testify under oath.
Duterte’s resolution emphasized that the allegations, if proven, could indicate presidential interference, violating transparency and separation of powers. Co also claimed that Marcos demanded a 25% kickback, with large sums delivered in suitcases—a claim the Palace denied, urging Co to present evidence in court rather than on social media.
Malacañang has dismissed the allegations as baseless, calling for Co to face legal proceedings. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
