Dennis Gasgonia

Liza Marcos shrugs off Zaldy Co’s claim linking her to corruption in DA

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — First Lady Liza Marcos has shrugged off former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co’s allegations that she is involved in corrupt schemes in the Department of Agriculture, Malacañang said on Friday. </p><p>“Alam naman ng First Lady at ng Pangulo ang katotohanan,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told Palace reporters.</p><p>“Kilala po natin ang First Lady kung paano magreact sa ganitong mga negatibo na mga balita, mga kwentong walang basehan,” she said.</p><p>“Magkikibit-balikat lang ang First Lady kasi alam natin kung ano ang katotohanan at may mga taong nagtatanggol at nagsasabi kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari,” she added. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/27/liza-marcos-underscores-focus-on-teaching-how-law-truly-works-over-theatrics-1302"><strong>Liza Marcos underscores focus on teaching ‘how law truly works’ over ‘theatrics’</strong></a></div><p>Earlier this week, the fugitive politician released a new video clip claiming that the First Lady “personally intervened” in several congressional investigation into the spikes in the prices of onion and rice, alleging that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s immediate family are the “ones who dictate, control and benefit from transactions that should have been for the benefit of the people.”</p><p>Malacañang said Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. has already denied Co’s accusations against the President and his family. </p><p>“Nito lamang nakaraan na araw, si Sec. Kiko Laurel na po mismo ang nagpatunay ng katotohanan at kung ano ba ang naging karanasan niya sa pakikipag usap at pakikipag deal kay Zaldy Co,” Castro said.</p><p>“Makikita naman po natin kung ano talaga ang motibo dito,” she said.</p><p>“Mas maganda kung mayroon siyang video, dapat lahatan para hindi unti-until nagagamit yung mga mali sa unang, pangalawa at pangatlong video,” she said.</p><p>“Umuwi siya dito sa bansa at manumpa siya na iyon ang katotohanan.”</p><p>Co — who has been tagged as one of the lawmakers who siphoned off billions of pesos from anomalous flood control projects — left the Philippines in mid-2025 for a medical leave. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/26/zaldy-co-implicates-first-lady-liza-marcos-in-alleged-anomalies-in-rice-onion-importation-1618"><strong>Zaldy Co links First Lady Liza Marcos to alleged anomalies in rice, onion importation </strong></a> </div><p>The former House Appropriations Committee chairperson has since refused to return to the Philippines after several contractors and officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) tagged him in the so-called Philippines’ biggest corruption scandal.</p><p>Earlier this week, Marcos Jr. said that Co tried to blackmail the administration saying that a series of videos implicating the President would be released to the public if the administration moves to cancel his passport.</p><p>The President remained firm that Co’s travel documents is now in the process of being canceled after cases of graft, malversation, direct bribery and falsification of public documents were filed against the former lawmaker last week.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O2H9dVFMGxk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>First Lady Liza Marcos has shrugged off former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co’s allegations that she is involved in corrupt schemes in the Department of Agriculture, Malacañang said on Friday.</p>

First Lady Liza Marcos has shrugged off former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co’s allegations that she is involved in corrupt schemes in the Department of Agriculture, Malacañang said on Friday.