MANILA — Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co has officially resigned from his post following allegations linking him to a multi-billion peso kickback scheme involving government flood control projects. Co made the announcement via Facebook on Monday, describing the decision as both painful and necessary.

“Mabigat man sa aking puso, ako’y nagpaabot ng aking pagbibitiw bilang Kinatawan sa Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso,” he wrote.

“Ang desisyong ito ay hindi naging madali, ngunit ito ay aking tinimbang nang mabuti para sa ikabubuti ng aking pamilya at ng mga taong patuloy kong pinaglilingkuran,” he added.

In a formal letter addressed to House Speaker Faustino Dy III, Co cited “the real, direct, grave and imminent threat” to his family and “the evident denial of my right to due process of law” as reasons for his “irrevocable resignation” with immediate effect.

Speaker Dy confirmed receipt of the resignation and said the House leadership would deliberate on the appropriate course of action.

“Pag-uusapan pa ng House leadership kung ano ang magiging pasya tungkol dito sa development sa pagre-resign ni Congressman Zaldy Co,” he told reporters.

He also clarified that any legal proceedings would now fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice, as the House Ethics Committee no longer holds authority over Co.

“Since nagresign nga si Congressman Zaldy Co, wala nang ‘ika nga, karapatan ang Kongreso para maanyayahan siya at maimbitahan na umattend sa committee ng ethics,” Dy said.

Congressman JC Abalos rejected claims that Co’s resignation was a way to escape accountability.

“Yung evasion of accountability, wala naman yan kung miyembro ka ng House o hindi… In any case, anyone can still file a civil or criminal case against any member or any former member of the House of Representatives kaya kahit na nag-resign si former congressman Zaldy Co, that doesn’t exempt him from accountability,” he said.

Co’s resignation came shortly after the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) recommended that he face graft, malversation, and falsification charges over alleged anomalies in ₱290 million worth of flood control projects in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon previously accused Co and contractor Sunwest Inc. of being responsible for five out of seven substandard flood control projects in the province.

Supporting these claims were testimonies from two dismissed engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez. Hernandez alleged that ₱1 billion in kickbacks was delivered in suitcases to one of Co’s staffers.

Alcantara testified that between 2022 and 2025, Co allocated ₱24 billion to ₱35 billion worth of projects to DPWH’s Bulacan First District Office, covering 426 infrastructure initiatives.

“Sa bawat proyekto na pinapasok ni Cong Zaldy, meron akong binigay na obligasyon sa kanya base sa aming kasunduan,” Alcantara said.

“Noong 2022, ang kanilang hinihingi na budget sa bawat proyekto ay 20% lamang po. ‘Yun po yung 20% po na 2022 inaayos po namin doon sa litrato po na naipakita sa House investigation,” he added. “Noong taong 2023 hanggang 2025, tumaas ang porsyento ng 25%.”

Authorities confirmed on Monday that Co’s police escorts had been withdrawn following his departure from the country. The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has also been asked to freeze ₱4.3 billion worth of assets linked to his family, including private aircraft.

Co has denied all allegations, maintaining that he never received funds from the government’s flood control projects. He has stated his intention to return to the Philippines to “clear his name of the allegations.”

📷 Philippine News Agency