The Zaldy Co–Rodrigo Duterte Connection: An Alliance of Convenience, a Partnership of Plunder
This piece looks into the long, messy ties between Zaldy Co, Rodrigo Duterte, Gloria Arroyo, and the Marcos–Romualdez camp, using only information already available online. It traces how Co’s construction empire grew through public works contracts, flood control projects, and shifting political alliances from Arroyo to Duterte to Marcos. In the end, it asks one hard question: in a war between corrupt factions, where does that leave ordinary Filipinos who paid for all of this with their taxes and their homes.
7 min read
Disclaimer: This blog is written from the perspective of a curious blogger/researcher—not a journalist. The purpose of this piece is to explore whether there was a relationship between Rodrigo Duterte and Zaldy Co by connecting information that is already available online. No new facts are presented here. This article should not be treated as verified reporting or definitive fact; it simply reflects my personal analysis and opinions. Readers are encouraged to do their own research.
There is no shortage of trapos in Philippine politics. But some trapos are more useful than others. And some manage to serve multiple masters across different regimes without losing a beat. Elizaldy "Zaldy" Co is that kind of politician.
The question being asked now is simple: what exactly is the relationship between Zaldy Co and Rodrigo Duterte? The answer is not so simple. Because that relationship is layered, opportunistic, and—when you trace the money—deeply transactional.
Before Duterte: The Gloria Years
Before Co ever shook Rodrigo Duterte's hand, he was already deep in the orbit of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. His party-list group, Ako Bicol, was founded in 2006 and accredited by COMELEC in 2009. By that time, Co had reportedly grown close to President Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo. This closeness was so blatant that Bayan Muna filed a disqualification case against Ako Bicol, claiming it was merely a front for the Arroyos.
That accusation never stuck. But the smell did.
Sunwest Construction, the company Co co-founded with his brother Christopher "Kito" Co in 1997, was already winning flood control and road projects under Arroyo's administration. As early as May 2007, Albay Vice Governor James Calisin accused the Co siblings' companies of fraudulently implementing DPWH river projects, with funds allegedly redirected for the 2007 elections. One project allegedly involved the channeling of a non-existent river in Malilipot.
In 2013, DPWH projects contracted by Sunwest and Hi-Tone (another Co family firm) were scrutinized after completed projects were found unfinished despite being paid in full. A year later, both companies were investigated by the Commission on Audit for possible involvement in the pork barrel scam, having received over ₱1 billion in DPWH projects from 2009 to 2010 funded by the Priority Development Assistance Fund of congressmen.
So before Duterte even became president, Zaldy Co was already embedded in the infrastructure-and-kickback ecosystem. Gloria Arroyo was his political godmother. That relationship built the foundation for everything that came next.
Enter Duterte: The Build, Build, Build Era
When Rodrigo Duterte became president in 2016, Zaldy Co didn't need to audition. He was already a known quantity in the circles that mattered.
Sunwest secured a ₱708-million contract from the Duterte administration in December 2016 to build landslide facilities for the Bicol International Airport in Daraga, Albay. Earlier that year, in July 2016, the DPWH awarded Sunwest other contracts, including ₱91.6 million for the construction of the Mayon Eco-Park Road in Santo Domingo, Albay.
Co also personally approached Duterte to expedite the completion of the Bicol International Airport, according to his Wikipedia entry. That airport was inaugurated in October 2021, with Duterte himself leading the ceremony.
From 2016 to 2025, Sunwest and related firms bagged ₱86.1 billion worth of contracts, almost half of which were concentrated in the Bicol Region. DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed that evidence submitted to the Ombudsman includes over ₱100 billion in contracts from 2016 to 2025 awarded to Co-owned firms.
Let that sink in. More than ₱100 billion.
The Bikoy Tapes and Zaldy Co's Shadow
In 2019, a series of videos called "Ang Totoong Narcolist" rocked the Duterte administration. The hooded whistleblower known as "Bikoy" (Peter Joemel Advincula) accused Duterte family members and close associates of involvement in illegal drug operations.
Here is where it gets interesting. Social media users and analysts have raised claims that Zaldy Co was mentioned in connection with properties allegedly used in drug operations. Former Vice President Sara Duterte herself claimed in October 2025 that she used her confidential funds to investigate Co’s alleged involvement in overpriced projects and other irregularities.
The Bikoy videos triggered sedition charges against opposition figures, but they also showed that even within the Duterte camp, there were names being whispered. Zaldy Co’s name was among those whispers.
Whether or not those accusations have merit, the pattern is clear: Co operated in a gray zone, close enough to power to profit, distant enough to survive regime change.
The UniTeam Illusion and the Romualdez Connection
When Marcos and Sara Duterte ran together as the UniTeam in 2022, the old Arroyo-Duterte networks merged with the Marcos-Romualdez machinery. Co found himself in the center of this new power arrangement.
In 2023, he was appointed chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations—the most powerful committee in Congress when it comes to money. Speaker Martin Romualdez made that appointment.
Under this arrangement, Sunwest and related firms saw their biggest contract spike yet, with ₱16.9 billion in project contracts in 2022 alone.
But power arrangements in the Philippines are never stable. And the UniTeam was already fracturing.
The Sara Duterte Clash
By September 2024, the Marcos-Duterte alliance was visibly breaking apart. And Vice President Sara Duterte publicly accused Zaldy Co of manipulating the national budget.
In a recorded interview shared by the Office of the Vice President, Sara said:
“Ang budget ng Pilipinas ay hawak lang ng dalawang tao. Hawak lang siya ni Cong. Zaldy Co at ni Cong. Martin Romualdez. ‘Yan ang katotohanan.”
She alleged that during her time as Education Secretary, the House added billions to the classroom construction budget—but those additions were under the control of Co and Romualdez, not DepEd.
Co hit back. He accused Sara of refusing to justify her confidential funds:
“She keeps on saying she defers to the wisdom of Congress, pero hindi naman totoo.”
The spectacle was complete. A former Duterte ally attacking the daughter of Rodrigo Duterte. And a Duterte attacking a man who prospered under her father.
November 2025: The Videos, The Rally, The Accusations
On November 14, 2025, from an undisclosed location abroad, Zaldy Co released a video admitting to facilitating ₱100 billion in budget insertions for the 2025 national budget, claiming the directive came from President Bongbong Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
A second video followed on November 24. In it, Co claimed he personally delivered ₱1 billion in cash to a Forbes Park property for Marcos through Undersecretary Joseph Cadiz. He alleged that total kickbacks from DPWH projects from 2022 to 2025 reached ₱56 billion—separate from the ₱100 billion in budget insertions.
The Iglesia ni Cristo held a massive rally on November 15–16, 2025, where Co’s videos were played before huge crowds. The INC denied coordinating with Co, but the timing said otherwise.
Political analysts immediately noted who stood to benefit. The Duterte bloc wasted no time amplifying the narrative.
Who Is Zaldy Co Really Serving?
This is the question that matters.
Zaldy Co thrived under Gloria Arroyo. He thrived under Rodrigo Duterte. He thrived under Marcos until he became a liability. And now, from exile, he is dropping bombs on the Marcos administration while conveniently sparing the Dutertes.
Some observations:
Co's lawyer is reportedly from the Arroyo inner circle, which aligns with Mike Defensor echoing Co’s messaging.
Co’s videos came out just before the INC rally and during peak tension over the flood control scandal.
Vera Files confirmed that a deepfake video falsely showing Co implicating the Dutertes was already circulating, a reminder that multiple factions are actively manipulating information.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth: Co benefited immensely under both Duterte and Marcos. His empire thrived because corruption was the business model.
The Planetary Alignment of the Corrupt
What is happening now is not a search for truth. It is a clash between two corrupt factions fighting for control of the state.
One faction is the Marcos-Romualdez axis.
The other is the Arroyo-Duterte axis.
And in the center sits Zaldy Co, a man who prospered under both camps and is now weaponizing information to protect his own interests.
Ordinary Filipinos—the ones who lost homes to floods that should have been prevented by billions in public funds—are sidelined in this fight.
What This Means
The relationship between Zaldy Co and Rodrigo Duterte was never ideological. It was transactional. Co’s construction empire expanded during the Build, Build, Build years. He knew how to play the game, who to approach, and when to shift allegiance.
Now that he’s cornered, he is releasing information in a way that hurts Marcos and aids the Dutertes.
Whether this is remorse, calculation, or survival, the result is the same: the flood control scandal has revealed billions in missing funds. Arrest warrants are out. The Interpol Blue Notice is active.
But until Zaldy Co testifies under oath, on Philippine soil, with documents and sworn statements, his videos remain what Atty. Ferdinand Garrido described them as: content.
Not testimony.
Not evidence.
Content.
And in the Philippines, content can trend. But it rarely delivers justice.
Sources
Can resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co's allegations on social media about P100 billion
https://www.facebook.com/.../can-resigned-lawmaker.../140Zaldy Co wants to correct ‘skewed narrative’ – lawyer
https://www.philstar.com/.../zaldy-co-wants-correct...Zaldy Co Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaldy_CoP56B in flood control kickbacks went to Marcos Romualdez
https://www.philstar.com/.../zaldy-co-says-he-personally...Sara Duterte wants Romualdez detained at House, Zaldy Co returned to PH
https://www.gmanetwork.com/.../sara-duterte-wants.../Political analysts believe that the Duterte camp will be the biggest beneficiary
https://www.facebook.com/.../political-analysts-believe...Zaldy Co calls corruption allegations false baseless
https://philstarlife.com/.../685643-zaldy-co-denies...INC: Peace rally not linked to Zaldy Co video release
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3q6BWJj1RcSunwest Inc. a construction firm co-founded by Ako Bicol Rep Zaldy Co
https://www.facebook.com/.../sunwest-inc-a-construction.../The congressman and the billions: Tracing the power of Zaldy Co
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/.../the-congressman-and-the...Ang Totoong Narcolist Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ang_Totoong_NarcolistSara Duterte: Romualdez, Co manipulate national budget allocation
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/.../sara-duterte-says...Sunwest Inc total DPWH contracts from 2016–2025
https://www.facebook.com/.../sunwest-inctotal-dpwh.../1221Zaldy Co: I will testify in due time
https://www.philstar.com/.../zaldy-co-i-will-testify-due...Hundreds of thousands rally in the Philippines over flood control corruption scandal
https://gulfnews.com/.../hundreds-of-thousands-rally-in...Albay Vice Governor accuses Co siblings of DPWH project fraud
https://www.facebook.com/.../ako-bicol-political-party.../1Ombudsman files charges against Zaldy Co for P289M flood project anomalies
https://www.gmanetwork.com/.../ombudsman-charges.../story/Vera Files fact check: Zaldy Co did not say Dutertes ordered him to implicate Marcos
https://verafiles.org/.../fact-check-zaldy-co-did-not-say...GMA shares P30.4-M pork with son, 5 allies
https://www.philstar.com/.../gma-shares-p304-m-pork-son-5...13 donors raised P334M for Duterte campaign fund – PCIJ
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/.../13-donors-raised-p334m...Former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co finally broke his silence
https://www.facebook.com/.../former-ako-bicol.../13Five Reveals from the Flood-Control Data – PCIJ
https://pcij.org/.../5-reveals-from-the-flood-control-data/Bikoy posts bail over cyber libel case
https://www.philstar.com/.../bikoy-posts-bail-over-cyber...First salvo tags Co, Romualdez
https://tribune.net.ph/.../21/first-salvo-tags-co-romualdezAko Bicol Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ako_BicolLiteral ‘party’ from the party-list system: The case of Ako Bicol
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/.../literal-party-from-the...
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