Daily Tribune
Atty. Ruy Rondain. Photo for Daily Tribune
Former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co now feels “more relieved but also more afraid” following the release of his three-part video series accusing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman of alleged budget insertions and kickback schemes.
This was revealed by Co’s counsel, Atty. Roy Rondaín, in a radio interview on Monday. He said that he has communicated with Co only through text messages in recent days, as the former lawmaker has difficulty receiving calls.
“Rondain said his client is okay, better emotionally now, but he also said he’s more afraid now. He said, ‘I was afraid when I didn’t identify them, especially now that I have,’” the lawyer recounted.
Rondaín clarified that he had no involvement in the crafting or approval of Co’s videos. “I had no participation at all,” he said. “I was surprised. I learned about part one just as it was being uploaded. I didn’t want to meddle in what the witness would say.”
Rondaín pushed back against calls from Malacañang and the Office of the Ombudsman for Co to return to the Philippines and submit a sworn statement, saying Co will do so “in the right time.” He asserted that the Ombudsman can initiate investigations even without an affidavit.
“The Ombudsman can act on anonymous complaints. And now suddenly they say it must be under oath?” he said, also accusing the agency of prejudging other cases while ignoring Co’s allegations.
The lawyer said Co does not feel safe returning to the country despite government assurances. “They say, ‘We guarantee your safety.’ But you’re still scared there. If they shoot him, will they just say, ‘We tried our best?’”
According to Rondaín, Co fears not only the individuals he implicated but also possible vigilante attacks stemming from public outrage.
“He’s really afraid. I myself fear the vigilantes. Many are still angry,” he said.
Co has not yet decided when he will return to testify or which forum he would prefer — the Senate, the courts, or the Ombudsman — but he is willing to affirm his allegations under oath “absolutely.”
Rondaín insisted that Co possesses substantial evidence to support his claims, including text messages, receipts, photographs and videos.
“Very, very solid,” he said, though he declined to describe the contents of the videos, saying Co should release them himself.
He also denied accusations that Co omitted documents related to companies linked to him. “He’s not part of Sunwest. Let them defend themselves. The congressman has nothing to do with implementation,” he said.
Rondaín maintained that Co did not receive any money from the projects in question. “He has evidence that he didn’t get any money. There are receipts.”
The lawyer affirmed Co’s claim — revealed in the third video — that Romualdez allegedly warned him as early as March 2025 that he would “shoot him if he talked.” When asked why Co did not expose the matter then, Rondaín said, “It was a state of mind. You can imagine — who are you confronting, the most powerful forces in the land.”
He also rejected accusations that Co served as a “bagman.” “It just passed through him. Delivery only,” he explained, adding that Co’s failure was not corruption but a lack of strength to resist pressure. “If he’s guilty of anything, it’s lack of strength to resist.”
Rondaín said additional material from Co may be released in the coming days. He emphasized that he does not vet Co’s disclosures.
Co currently remains overseas, with no immediate plans to return. “He’s still afraid and we haven’t even discussed going back,” Rondaín said.
However, he stressed that Co intends to testify eventually. “When he returns, he will say everything under oath — absolutely.”
