Embattled Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co on Monday resigned as member of the House of Representatives in the face of allegations of massive graft and corruption against him.
“Mabigat man sa aking puso, ako’y nagpaabot ng aking pagbibitiw bilang Kinatawan sa Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso. Sa loob ng aking panunungkulan, aking sinikap na maging kasurog ng bawat Pilipino, lalo na ng ating mga kababayan sa Bicol (With a heavy heart, I’m resigning as a member of Congress. Throughout my term, I strived to be an ally of every Filipino, especially our countrymen in Bicol),” he said in a Facebook post.
“Ang desisyong ito ay hindi naging madali, ngunit ito ay aking tinimbang nang mabuti para sa ikabubuti ng aking pamilya at ng mga taong patuloy kong pinaglilingkuran. Maraming salamat sa pagsuporta (This decision is not easy but I thought about it carefully for the sake of my family and the people I continue to serve),” he added.
Co, in his resignation letter to Speaker Faustino Dy III, said he was constrained to file his immediate and irrevocable resignation “on account of the real, direct, grave and imminent threat to the lives of my family members and me and the evident denial of my right to due process of law.”
The new House leadership has given Co 10 days or until September 29 to return to the country to face the allegations that he pocketed billions in kickbacks from flood control projects.
