Former Rep. Elizaldy Co’s resignation does not mean he gets away scot-free, Rep. Toby Tiangco (Navotas, Lone District) said.
In a statement on Monday night, September 29, Co’s vocal critic stressed that a resignation does not amount to anything if he faces no accountability.
‘Let me be clear: Congressman Zaldy Co’s resignation is not enough. Resignation is not accountability,’ Tiangco said. ‘What the Filipino people deserve is for him to face the music.’
By simply resigning, Co has insulted both the country’s institutions and the Filipino people, he said.
‘At kung hindi niya haharapin ang mga alegasyon, this can be interpreted as a tacit admission of guilt,’ he added. (And if he does not face the allegations, this can be taken as a tacit admission of guilt.)
The public expects Co to address the allegations against him not through press statements but in a proper forum where evidence and testimonies can be examined. This has been clear in the anti-corruption protests and demonstrations held weekly.
‘[U]muwi siya dito sa Pilipinas, para sagutin ang lahat ng paratang sa kanya,’ Tiangco said. (He should return to the Philippines to answer all the allegations against him.)
Tiangco, one of Co’s loudest critics in the House, turned his accusations over the P13-billion insertions in the 2025 budget and Co’s ‘ostentatious display of wealth’ into a formal ethics case.
However, Co’s irrevocable resignation renders the ethics complaint meaningless, given his departure from public office. This was confirmed by House Speaker Bojie Dy and ethics committee chair Rep. JC Abalos (4Ps Party-list).
Still, Tiangco pointed out that Co’s resignation does not close the door on legal action, as the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) had already recommended charges over a P289-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.
‘Hindi ito natatapos sa simpleng resignation at statement lang. Mas lalong hindi tama na siya pa ang magdidikta kung kailan siya uuwi sa ating bansa,’ he said.
(This does not end with a simple resignation and statement. All the more, it is not right for him to dictate when he will return to our country.)
Co has been accused of padding the 2025 budget when he was the appropriations chair of the 19th Congress, allegedly to receive 20% to 30% in kickbacks from public works projects like flood control.
The recently resigned lawmaker also co-founded Sunwest Inc., one of the country’s top flood control contractors, which reportedly secured about P86 billion worth of infrastructure deals from 2016 to 2025.
On top of these allegations, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials from Bulacan have also linked Co to bribery incidents, including reports of him receiving suitcases of cash.
Co, however, has been absent since the 20th Congress convened. He reportedly left for the United States to seek medical care. While he promised to return, he failed to comply with Dy’s order to return by September 29, choosing to step down instead.