AKO Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co is a proponent of billions worth of project insertions, Navotas lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco said.
“Nagulat po ako na ‘yung proponent ng mga dagdag sa distrito na ito under bicam is si Congressman Zaldy Co,” Tiangco said during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Monday, September 8.
Based on the lawmaker’s research, Tiangco found that the total of the insertions in the subdistrict amounts to ₱13,803,693,000.
“Ang una ko pong napansin doon is lumobo ‘yung dalawang Mindoro, isang Oriental at isang Occidental. Ang NEP [National Expenditure Program] po nila…hindi lumagpas ng P2.5 billion. Pero ang GAA [General Appropriations Act] po nila is P20 billion,” Tiangco pointed out.
“Hindi po nila [congressmen] kaya gawin ‘yon. Hindi kayang gawin ng regular congressman na magdagdag. Hindi naman po sila miyembro ng Committee on Appropriations. Parehong first term congressmen po ‘yon,” he added. “Hindi nila kayang magdadgag ng ganoong kalaki.”
A screenshot of several project budget allocations showing Rep. Zaldy Co as the proponent. Presentation from Rep. Toby Tiangco.
The two Partylists
Upon checking, Tiangco said he also checked who inserted the additional funding for each district. He said that two partylists in particular stood out.
“May dalawang partylist po doon, na sa bicam lang—hindi ko alam ‘yung sa small committee—ay nadagdagan sila ng P2 billion,” Tiangco said, pertaining to AKO Bicol and BHW Partylist.
“Ang alam ko po, ang partylist congressmen, ang allocation is [around] P100 to P150 million lang,” he added.
The AKO Bicol Partylist budget insertions. Screenshot from Rep. Tobhy Tiangco's presentation.
The BHW Partylist budget insertions. Screenshot from Rep. Tobhy Tiangco's presentation.
With that, the Committee Chairperson, Rodante Marcoleta, questioned whether the said insertions were done with the permission of the congressmen.
However, Tiangco clarified that there are two ways it might have happened, highlighting the “parking fee” or the term used when a congressman agrees to the insertions, and “sagasa” a word used when insertions are included without the congressman’s knowledge.
“‘Yung ibang congressman dyan, sabi nila’ hindi namin alam ‘yan. Hindi namin ni-request ‘yan.’ Hindi na ako nagtanong kung parada ‘yan o sagasa. Ang sinasabi ko lang po is, ‘yan po ‘yung nakita ko,” Tiangco said.
“Kasi normally, kung ‘yan po ‘yung ni-request ko, dapat ako ‘yung proponent [ng proyekto] at ‘yung rin po ‘yung congressional district. Pag makaiba, magtataka kayo bakit,” he added.
