MANILA, Philippines—Vice President Sara Duterte said “abuse and corruption” has become the face of the Marcos government.
“Corruption is abuse. The face of the government now is abuse and corruption,” Duterte said in a speech in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday. “What they did to former president Rodrigo Duterte was abuse,” she said, alleging that her father was kidnapped and flown to The Hague.
She also accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of insincerity.
“They were able to forcibly take former president Rodrigo Duterte from the Philippines. Why can’t they get Zaldy Co to return to the Philippines? And why can’t they put Martin Romualdez into the detention unit of the House of Representatives?” she said. “Because he is not sincere,” she said.
Co, former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, has denied any wrongdoing, is being implicated in the billion-peso anomaly involving non-existent or flawed flood-control contracts.
Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy 3rd has revoked Co’s travel clearance and ordered him to return to the country within 10 calendar days from receipt of the notice.
At a Senate hearing, Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya 2nd claimed that certain individuals he named in his affidavit “repeatedly mentioned the delivery of money was for Zaldy Co, which should be at least 25 percent.”
Discaya also said former representative Marvin Rillo referred to Romualdez “as his close friend.”
Later, at a House hearing, Discaya clarified that he had no transaction with Romualdez and Co. Rillo was named by the Discaya couple in their affidavit. He has denied the allegations. Romualdez has denied involvement.
