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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Garbin on beleaguered Zaldy Co: 'Lalabanan niya lahat ng allegations'

Garbin on beleaguered Zaldy Co: 'Lalabanan niya lahat ng allegations'

Published Sep 24, 2025 09:55 am

At A Glance

  • Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. believes his controversial fellow nominee, Zaldy Co won't go down without a fight as far as the allegations on the flood control projects controversy is concerned.
Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. (left), Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (MANILA BULLETIN, PPAB)
Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. (left), Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (MANILA BULLETIN, PPAB)


Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. believes his controversial fellow nominee, Zaldy Co won't go down without a fight as far as the allegations on the flood control projects controversy is concerned.
"Definitely he will answer all these baseless allegations...Ang alam ko lalabanan niya lahat ng allegations na ito (What I know is he will fight all of these allegations)," Garbin told House of Representatives reporters in an interview.
Garbin shared that Co had a scheduled medical appointment in Boston in the United States (US) on Sept. 24. He didn't clarify whether this was Philippine time or US time.
At any rate, Garbin says it has been two weeks since he last spoke with Co. Around that time, it was reportedly that the latter was receiving treatment abroad for a heart ailment.
There is uncertainty as to Co's current whereabouts.
On Tuesday, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer Henry Alcantara claimed in a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that since 2022, Co have benefited from over ₱35 billion worth of insertions for infrastructure projects.
Co was the House Committee on Appropriations chairman during the previous 19th Congress.
Despite all the issues involving Co, Garbin insists that Ako Bicol's activities are unaffected. However, he admits to being "hurt".
"We're doing all the best we can do to pursue and continue with our advocacy and programs. Hindi naman po kami tumitigil sa Bicol, patuloy pa rin po yung aming mga programa at mga adbokasiya. So hindi naman po kami naaapektuhan (We haven't stopped in Bicol, we continuing our programs and advocacies. So we're not affect)," he said.
"Of course syempre, ipokrito naman kung sabihin na hindi kami nasasaktan sa ganito (Of course, it's hypocritical if we say that we're not hurt by this). Despite that, mas pinapa-igting pa po namin ang aming (we are stepping up our) advocacy and of course my active participation in the House of Representatives," he added.
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