Opposition Senator Rodante Marcoleta on Sunday questioned the Office of the Ombudsman for seemingly indicting the resigned-AKO Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co., which is not their duty under the Constitution.

“Nagpalabas ng statement ang Ombudsman. Ano sabi nila? Okay, bago namin tanggapin yan, kinakailangan ay umuwi ka rito at paberipika mo yan. Siguro panotaryo mo yan. Gawin mong official yan. Lahat na po ng requirements ngayon ay kanilang hinihiling. Nakalimutan nila sa mismong Charter ng Ombudsman,” Marcoleta said during the Iglesia ni Cristo rally at the Quirino Grandstand, Luneta, Manila.  

“Yung mismong batas na gumawa sa opisina ng Ombudsman. Pwede kang maghain ng complaint sa anumang kaparaanan at anumang porma, kahit anonymous, tatanggapin. Paano natin maipapalitaw ang transparency at magkaroon ng accountability sa ating bansa kung ang namumuno sa Ombudsman office, na dating Secretary ng Department of Justice, at ang kanyang Prosecutor General, sila ang unang tagausig, sila ang unang dapat magsampa ng nauukol na kaso para sa ganun mapanagot natin ang nagkasala. Sila pa ang nangunguna para pagtakpan lahat ito. Papayagan po ba natin yan? Hindi ba iniinsulto nila tayo niyan? Papayag ba kayong mainsulto?" he stressed.

According to Marcoleta, Article XI, Section 12, Philippine Constitution, states that the Ombudsman and his Deputies, as protectors of the people, shall act promptly on complaints filed in any form or manner against public officials or employees of the Government, or any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations, and shall, in appropriate cases, notify the complainants of the action taken and the result thereof.

He also mentioned Republic Act No. 6770 or the Ombudsman Act of 1989, Section 13, which mandates that the Ombudsman and his Deputies, as protectors of the people, shall act promptly on complaints filed in any form or manner against officers or employees of the Government, or of any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations, and enforce their administrative, civil and criminal liability in every case where the evidence warrants to promote efficient service by the Government to the people.

Further, he mentioned Section 15, which states the Office of the Ombudsman shall have the following powers, functions and duties: (1) Investigate and prosecute on its own or on complaint by any person, any act or omission of any public officer or employee, office or agency, when such act or omission appears to be illegal, unjust, improper or inefficient.

“It has primary jurisdiction over cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan and, in the exercise of his primary jurisdiction, it may take over, at any stage, from any investigatory agency of the Government, the investigation of such cases,” he said, quoting the Constitution.

No evidence still

Meanwhile, civic leader Jose Antonio Goitia said that Part 2 video of Co’s revelations was crafted to provoke reaction: dramatic, emotional, and filled with accusations meant to suggest misconduct at the highest levels of leadership.

Goitia reminds the public, drama is not proof, as claims of that magnitude cannot rely on videos recorded abroad and must be backed by real, verifiable evidence.

Co’s boldest statement yet is his claim that he personally delivered suitcases of cash to Malacañang and to Speaker Martin Romualdez.

For Goitia, that allegation collapses the moment it is examined.

“The claim that you personally delivered money to the President or the Speaker is extremely serious,” Goitia said. “You cannot expect anyone to accept that based on words alone. There must be documents, records, or any form of proof. Without that, it remains just a story.”

Co also released photos of rows of luggage, claiming they contained cash payouts supposedly destined for the Palace.

But as Goitia noted, pictures of bags do not prove anything, as there is no verification of where they were taken, when they were taken, who handled them, or what they contained, and not even proof that it was really delivered to the President or to Malacañang.

“If these deliveries really happened, there should be a clear trail,” he added. “But none was presented — no logs, no dates, no documents. And in this case, the silence is louder than the claim,” he said.

Moreover, the civic leader said Co’s statements also contradict one another.

“He claims he delivered money. He claims he never received money. He claims he acted under pressure. He claims he is exposing the truth. You can’t present two contradictory statements and expect both to be taken as true. When a story conflicts with itself, it isn’t truth — it’s a sign that the narrative has holes. These inconsistencies form the weakest foundation for accusations of this magnitude,” Goitia said.