SENATOR Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV urged former Rep. Zaldy Co to return to the Philippines and testify under oath regarding alleged irregularities in flood control projects and controversial budget insertions.

Aquino joined mounting calls for the former lawmaker to surface following Co's recent allegations that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez received kickbacks from P100 billion in 2025 budget insertions.

“I echo iyong sinasabi ng simbahan at ng maraming grupo na he should come home,” Aquino said in an emailed advisory.

“Come home, face the DOJ [Department of Justice], face the ICI [Independent Commission for Infrastructure], face the Blue Ribbon, be under oath, and tell all, basically.”

Aquino demanded accountability for the anomalous projects, insisting the government must imprison those involved and recover stolen funds, which he estimates range in the trillions over recent years.

“Sino ba talaga yung sangkot? Dapat ikulong sila. And hopefully, sooner than later, iyong pera, hindi pwedeng wala lang," the senator said. "That's over a trillion, or about a trillion pesos, over the last couple of years na nawala. Kailangan may serious attempt to get back that money.”

CALL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV takes the floor to push for the passage of Senate Bill No. 1506, or the CADENA Act, which seeks to mandate the digital publication of government budget documents. During his speech, Aquino also urged former Rep. Zaldy Co to return to the Philippines and testify under oath regarding alleged anomalies in flood control projects and budget insertions. Photo courtesy of Philippine Senate

Beyond prosecution, Aquino emphasized the necessity of systemic reforms to prevent future corruption.

“And of course, baguhin ang sistema. Huwag tayong pumayag na after one year, ganto na naman tayo, na masisingitan na naman tayo ng kung sino-sino,” he said.

Push for transparency reforms

To institutionalize these reforms, Aquino pushed for the immediate passage of Senate Bill No. 1506, or the Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act.

“We really have to change the system. Pass the CADENA Act, have a better budget, and get people more interested in where their money goes,” Aquino noted.

The proposed measure, also known as the Blockchain the Budget Act, mandates that all government agencies upload and maintain budget documents — including contracts, project costs, bills of materials, and procurement details — on a Digital Budget Platform.

TRANSPARENCY PUSH. Senate President Vicente Sotto III (center, rear) presides over a plenary session as the chamber deliberates on the legislative agenda. Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV (name on screen) urged colleagues to pass Senate Bill No. 1506, or the CADENA Act, which mandates the digital publication of budget documents to prevent corruption in government projects. Photo courtesy of Philippine Senate

Aquino warned that the bill includes strict penalties for non-compliance. Officials who fail to disclose documents or deliberately upload false information would face administrative and criminal charges.

“Lalagyan po natin ng pangil ang CADENA Act. Kung may mga dokumento na hindi po na-publish ng ahensya sa kanilang website o sa CADENA platform sa loob ng pitong araw, mayroon pong administrative penalty,” Aquino said in his sponsorship speech.

“At kung pagkatapos ng tatlumpung araw hindi pa rin naisasapubliko ang kontrata, bill of materials, o kahit ano mang minandatong dokumento ng batas, magiging criminal offense po ito.”

He added that the penalties are designed to ensure data integrity.

“Makukulong ang isang indibidwal na nag-upload ng false or misleading budget-related information. At ang probisyon na ito, na penalty, ay para panigurado na hindi po garbage in, garbage out ang mangyayari sa CADENA. Ibig sabihin po, wala pong takas dito,” he said.