Former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co said former House Speaker Martin Romualdez allegedly instructed him to deliver P2 billion monthly from Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects.
The directive reportedly came following Co’s appointment as chair of the House Appropriations Committee in 2022.
In a video statement posted Monday afternoon, Co detailed his alleged coordination with DPWH officials, including former DPWH-Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara, regarding the fund transfers and reported splitting of proceeds or kickbacks.
He did not, however, specify where the monthly P2 billion fund was delivered.
‘In 2022, when I had just assumed my position as chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, Speaker Romualdez immediately told me that I needed to deliver P2 billion every month,’ Co said.
‘A few days later, Usec. (Roberto) Bernardo called me and said that Bulacan needed help with their flood problems. He sent DPWH District Engineer Henry Alcantara to my office,’ he recalled.
‘In our meeting with Alcantara, he himself offered how the proceeds from the DPWH projects would be divided: 22 percent for the Speaker, 2 percent for Usec Bernardo, and 1 percent for himself,’ Co further revealed.
Last week, Co also posted a video on social media detailing alleged cash deliveries tied to the 2025 national budget.
In the video, Co claimed that he and his staff were instructed to deliver suitcases of money to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s residences and to Malacañang.
He described these deliveries as linked to P100 billion in projects that he was allegedly told to insert during the 2024 bicameral conference on the national budget.
Co said that the amounts were determined as a fixed percentage and that he repeatedly sought clearance from Romualdez on the amounts and the transfers.
He also mentioned that Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin provided him with a list of projects worth P100 billion, which he understood would be tied to the cash deliveries.
The former lawmaker also revealed that there were ‘receipts, evidence and names’ associated with the transactions, and that multiple meetings were held to lay out the list of projects and corresponding amounts.