Following the revelations of resigned AKO BICOL Partylist Representative Elizaldy Co — alleging that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the insertion of P100 billion into the 2025 national budget during the bicameral conference last year — Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson and Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon called the claim unbearable.

In an ambush interview with the media on Friday afternoon, Lacson, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said Co’s video statement has no probative value because it was not made under oath.

He added that it makes little sense for President Marcos to insert projects during the bicameral conference when he could have done so at the level of the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

The veteran lawmaker also pointed out that it was Marcos himself who vetoed P26 billion worth of DPWH projects.

“Ba’t sa bicam pa siya magpa-insert? Hindi naman siya part ng bicam. Assuming na totoong nagpa-insert sa bicam, ba’t niya i-veto?” Lacson said.

For his part, Dizon said the President cannot be involved in the alleged corruption because he was the one who ordered an investigation.

“Kasi kung involved ka, bakit ikaw mismo ang magpapasabog? Bakit mo gagawin ang lahat ng ito? Bakit mo bubuuin ang isang independent commission?” Dizon said.

“Bakit mo sasabihin lahat ng dapat managot ay dapat managot? Bakit mo sasabihin bago mag-Pasko ay sigurado nang may makukulong?” he added.

Dizon also stressed that Co lacks credibility, noting that he left the country just as the flood control controversy broke out.

“Nung nagsimula pa lang itong kontrobersiya, eskandalo sa flood control, ang ginawa ni Congressman Zaldy Co ay umalis ng Pilipinas. So sinong paniniwalaan natin?” he said.

Senate President Tito Sotto on Saturday likewise said he would not comment on the video unless Co’s allegations are made under oath.

“Otherwise… he said, she said,” Sotto said in a Viber message.

Even opposition lawmakers — Mamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima and Akbayan Partylist Rep. Chel Diokno — urged Co to return home and testify under oath if he wants the Filipino people to believe him.

Meanwhile, civic groups including Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms, Liga Independencia Pilipinas, and the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement echoed the call. Chairman emeritus Jose Antonio Goitia urged Co to present actual evidence to substantiate his claims.

Goitia said the documents Co released merely list project names and amounts — items normally found in the national budget — but contain no directive from Malacañang or any communication proving the President ordered the insertions. Evidence, not theatrics, must guide public judgment, he stressed.

Obvious timing

A recent national security assessment observed that the timing of Co’s revelations aligns with supposed rallies organized by blocs seeking to pressure the administration.

Analysts warn that these events may be part of a broader effort to destabilize the government by spreading misleading narratives targeted at the President. While the assessment does not accuse any group of illegal activity, it emphasizes the need for fact-based scrutiny, rather than reacting to orchestrated timing or political noise.

Co’s decision to release his accusations from overseas — instead of appearing before Senate inquiries or testifying under oath — has raised further questions.

“If the intention is to tell the truth, the strongest place to do that is under oath, not overseas. Our institutions exist precisely so that claims can be examined fairly and transparently,” Goitia said, noting that statements made abroad without cross-examination naturally leave more questions than answers.

Goitia also flagged inconsistencies in Co’s narrative, especially since President Marcos himself exposed the flood control irregularities and ordered a deeper probe.

He further underscored the administration’s efforts to strengthen transparency and accountability.

“What I see is a government strengthening checks and balances, not weakening them,” he said. “You cannot fake institutional reforms. You can only implement them if you are genuinely committed to fixing the system.”

“Truth does not hide behind edited videos or selective releases. It must be presented openly, under oath, before the institutions of our Republic,” he added.