MANILA, Philippines — Former lawmaker Elizaldy Co admitted inserting roughly P100 billion into the 2025 national budget and claimed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez ordered the action, Co stated in a public disclosure.
Co said officials instructed him to allocate the funds for undisclosed government projects as part of a broader administration initiative. He also alleged involvement from Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and claimed that the directive coincided with communications with other government officials.
The former lawmaker faces separate allegations of receiving kickbacks from flood control projects. He maintained that he is being portrayed as a scapegoat in the government’s anti-corruption campaign.
Co’s admission has sparked reactions from opposition lawmakers and government accountability groups, who called for a thorough investigation into the alleged budget maneuvering and questioned the transparency and legality of the allocations.
Authorities have not confirmed or denied the involvement of Marcos and Romualdez, and the administration has yet to issue an official response.