SENATE President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Saturday said the allegations made by former Rep. Elizaldy Co have no probative value unless they are properly authenticated and made under oath.
Lacson stressed that Co’s statements, aired through videos online, cannot be treated as evidence because they were not sworn before any authority.
This, he said, was the reason the committee declined to play Co’s first video during its hearing on Friday.
Lacson said Co must execute a written affidavit authenticated by the Philippine consul in the country where he is currently staying, then testify under oath before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee from an embassy or consulate.
Only under those conditions, he said, will the panel resume its hearing to take Co’s testimony. Otherwise, Lacson added, Co’s multiple video “episodes” will remain mere stories without evidentiary weight.
The senator also noted that he initially considered allowing Co to appear via Zoom, but Sen. Ronald dela Rosa objected, citing concerns that Co could use the platform for propaganda since he would not be under oath or subject to contempt.
Meanwhile, Lacson said his office is reviewing the PHP100 billion in projects Co claimed were inserted in the 2025 budget. Several items appear to exist in the 2025 General Appropriations Act, he said, though he pointed out inconsistencies in Co’s timeline, including alleged deliveries dated in 2024 for insertions supposedly made in the 2025 budget.
