Former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co uploaded Tuesday morning another short video, aiming at Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, the President’s son, for allegedly making his own insertions in the national budget from 2023 to 2025.
‘Every year, as soon as we get to the bicam(eral conference committee) budget process, Congressman Sandro always has instructions to insert his projects (in the budget),’ Co said.
In sum, Co said Rep. Marcos, who was senior deputy majority leader in the 19th Congress and currently majority floor leader in the 20th Congress, inserted at least P50 billion in the past three years.
Co also alleged that when the 2025 budget came out, Rep. Marcos threatened to have him removed and to file multiple cases against him because there were ‘some P8 billion pesos worth of insertions that he wanted in, because there were already contractors who [had] already (paid) their advance to him.’
‘Because these projects were not inserted, he (Marcos) had to return the sums to them,’ Co said.
This is the latest episode in Co’s tell-all videos implicating President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., former Speaker Martin Romualdez, and several other high-ranking officials in Malacanang of initiating graft-ridden insertions in the 2025 budget.
Insertions are generally understood to be any change made from the National Expenditure Program (NEP) prepared by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) during the crafting of the general appropriations bill that is eventually enacted into law.
On Monday, President Marcos dismissed Co’s allegations against him and challenged him to return to the country and prove his claims.
The Inquirer has reached out to Rep. Marcos’ office for comment.