Zaldy: Romualdez threatened to kill me

MANILA, Philippines — In part three of his series of “exposés,” resigned congressman Zaldy Co claimed yesterday that his former boss, former speaker Martin Romualdez, threatened to have him killed if he spilled the beans on the alleged P100 billion budget insertions.

“As early as March 2025, the (former) speaker had insinuated in our meetings that he will shoot me if I talk,” Co said.

Romualdez has yet to comment on the latest allegation.

The former House appropriations chair also claimed that Romualdez – at the height of the flood control project anomalies – advised him against coming home, describing it as “dangerous” for his life.

“(They said) we will take care of you. What I didn’t know was that I was going to be the fall guy for their anti-corruption campaign,” Co said.

“He (Romualdez) warned me that they might hire someone like the police who might kill me,” he added.

At the same time, Co refuted the statement of dismissed Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara that only P21 billion in flood control projects had been divided among them.

“That is not true. That is a lie. The truth is that the total is P56 billion, and that amount went to the President and the speaker entirely. I will prove it in the next coming days,” he said.