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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Zaldy Co must return to the Philippines if he wants to testify in Marcos impeachment--Luistro

Zaldy Co must return to the Philippines if he wants to testify in Marcos impeachment--Luistro

Published Jan 24, 2026 05:15 pm

At A Glance

  • Former Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co must come back home to the Philippines if he wants to become a witness in a impeachment complaint against President Marcos.
Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro (left), Former Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (PPAB, Contributed photo)
Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro (left), Former Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (PPAB, Contributed photo)


Former Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co must come back home to the Philippines if he wants to become a witness in a impeachment complaint against President Marcos.
Thus, said Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro, chairman of the House Committee on Justice, during a news forum on Saturday, Jan. 24.
"I am not very much certain but I dont recall any existing rule that prohibits really a fugitive from testifying in other cases," Luistro said, referring to Co.
"Ang magiging issue na nga lang dyan (The only issue there is), because he is a fugitive and he is facing the possibility of being arrested, will he be willing to compromise that possibility of being arrested to he able to appear before any investigative body," said the lawyer-solon.
Co has been in hiding abroad ever since he was implicated in the budget insertion controversy and the flood control projects corruption scandal.
Former Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, who last Thursday led a group of administration critics in an attempt to file an additional impeachment case against Marcos, bared that Co was willing to testify via teleconferencing or Zoom.
The Committee on Justice is the panel that holds hearings on a referred impeachment complaint to find out whether or not it is sufficient in form and in substance.
According to Luistro, committee rules require witnesses to personally swear by their affidavits, which would be examined during the course of the hearings.
She also said that committee rules don't provide for online appearance or the swearing of an affidavit in Philippine embassies abroad.
In a Facebook video post last November, Co accused President Marcos of ordering P100 billion worth of project insertions in the P6.326-trillion national budget for 2025.
Co has a warrant of arrest from the Sandiganbayan for cases of malversation and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in connection with alleged substandard projects in Oriental Mindoro.
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