Former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co claimed on Friday, Nov. 14 that the Marcos administrstion is doing everything in its power to "silence" him.

In a six-minute video message simply titled "Part 1", Co--who had been in hiding abroad amid his alleged links to budget insertions and the flood control projects mess--said he was now ready to "tell all".

"Ginawa ko lang ang utos sa akin pero ngayon handa na akong harapin ang lahat. Ginagamit ng administrasyon ang buong resources ng bansa para tumahimik ako (I only carried out the orders given to me, but now I am ready to face everything. The administration is using the entire resources of the country to silence me)," Co said.

"Ngayon, hindi na akong mananahimik, ilalabas ko ang lahat ng katotohanan. May resibo, may ebidensya at may pangalan (Now I will no longer be silent; I will reveal all the truth. There are receipts, there is evidence, and there are names)," he vowed.

The video--shared on Co's Facebook and by Ako Bicol to House reporters--was edited in such a way that it gave snippets of future video "exposés".

"Sana po ay hindi nila ako mapatay bago ko mailabas ang lahat (I hope they won't succeed in killing me before I get to expose everything)," the ex-congressman said. He didn't say where the threat against his life was coming from.

Co said he was aware that he had been turned into the adminsitration's scapegoat in its fight against corruption.

"Para sa bawat Pilipino, alam ko na buo ang galit ninyo sa akin ngayon. Naunawaan ko rin kung bakit. Lalo na at malaki ang halagang nakataya. Pero bago kayo humusga, hayaan ninyong ipaliwanag ko ang buong katotohanan," he said.

(To every Filipino, I know that your anger toward me right now is complete. I also understand why, especially since the amount at stake is so large. But before you judge, allow me to explain the whole truth.)

"Matagal akong hindi nagsalita dahil may direktang utos sa akin. Huwag nang bumalik ng Pilipinas at manahimik na lamang (For a long time, I did not speak because I had a direct order: do not return to the Philippines and just remain silent)," continued Co, whose exact whereabouts abroad are unknown.

"Umalis ako noong July 19, 2025 para sa aking medical check-up. Nakaplanong bumalik pagkatapos ng SONA ni Pangulo. Pero habang papauwi na ako, tinawagan ako ni dating Speaker Martin Romualdez at sinabihan, 'Stay out of the country. You will be well taken care of as instructed by the President,'" he said.

(I left on July 19, 2025 for my medical check-up. I had planned to return after the President’s SONA. But while I was on my way home, former Speaker Martin Romualdez called me and told me, ‘Stay out of the country. You will be well taken care of as instructed by the President.’)

"Noon naniniwala pa ako sa kanila. Kaya't hindi ako bumalik. Tumikom ang aking bibig. Sumunod ako. Pero ang hindi ko alam, ang ibig pala nilang sabihin sa aalagaan ka namin ay gagamitin ako bilang panakip butas sa kanilang kampanya laban sa korupsyon. Ginawa nila akong poster boy ng kanilang sariling kasinungalingan," Co said.

(At that time, I still believed them. That is why I did not return. I kept my mouth shut. I obeyed. But what I did not know was that what they really meant by ‘we will take care of you’ was that they would use me as a scapegoat in their campaign against corruption. They made me the poster boy of their own lies.)

Co served as House Committee on Appropriations chairman during the previois 19th Congress. It is the panel that primarily crafts the national budget measure.