The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is moving to secure the testimony of former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co, identifying him as a “resource person” essential to uncovering the truth behind alleged irregularities in national flood control projects.
Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros expressed her support for the move on Saturday, echoing the sentiments of Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson.
Hontiveros noted that Co’s presence at the inquiry would be a turning point in the investigation.
“I guess yun yung dahilan na sinabi na ni chair Ping na kapag bumalik si… Co ay iimbitahin talaga siyang maging resource person sa blue ribbon committee hearing,” Hontiveros stated during a radio interview.
Lacson, who heads the Blue Ribbon Committee, has previously described Co as the “architect” of the flood control mess.
The committee hopes that Co’s testimony will provide the necessary evidence to implicate other high-ranking personalities involved in the scheme.
Beyond the investigation, Hontiveros is also seeking definitive answers regarding Co’s current status in the Czech Republic.
Conflicting reports have surfaced regarding whether the former lawmaker was officially apprehended or merely located by international authorities.
“Clarity is laging importante lalo na pagdating ng relasyon ng ating bansa sa ibang mga bansa kung nasaan yung ating mga kababayan or isang partikular na kababayan,” Hontiveros added.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently stepped in to clarify that Co was not arrested, explaining instead that he was “found” by Czech officials who subsequently alerted the Philippine government.
Co, the former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, is currently facing graft and malversation charges. The legal actions stem from a ₱289.5-million “ghost” road dike project located in Oriental Mindoro.