MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s office on Friday (Nov 14) denied any involvement of the leader in a deepening corruption scandal, following accusations from a former lawmaker embroiled in the issue.
In a video posted on Facebook Friday, ex-Congressman Zaldy Co (pic) accused Marcos of ordering the inclusion of 100 billion pesos (US$1.7 billion) worth of projects as Congress was deliberating the 2025 budget last year. Co, who headed the House of Representatives’ appropriation committee, is implicated in a massive scheme to pocket funds for flood infrastructure.
Hours after the video was posted, Marcos’ communications chief Dave Gomez at a briefing described Co’s statements as "hearsay.” Gomez also challenged the former lawmaker - who has stayed abroad since the scandal erupted - to return to the Philippines and make his accusations under oath.
"These wild accusations are without basis in fact,” the president’s communications head said.
The latest claims deepen a corruption scandal that has slowed economic growth and soured investor sentiment in the South-East Asian nation. Congressional probes have uncovered an alleged scheme involving lawmakers, public works officials and contractors to pilfer billions of pesos meant for flood-mitigation projects.
Also at Friday’s briefing, Marcos’ budget chief Amenah Pangandaman said administration officials "respect and strictly follow the budget process, and all our actions are above board.” - Bloomberg
