Co, 7 ‘cong-tractors’ face plunder, graft raps

National

SEVEN sitting lawmakers and resigned Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co are now facing plunder, graft and administrative cases after the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) recommended their prosecution for allegedly holding financial interests in construction firms with contracts from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The ICI said the officials “appeared” to have violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials by participating in or benefiting from companies doing business with an agency they influence.

In a report by Philstar, ICI chairman Andres Reyes Jr. said the lawmakers—dubbed “cong-tractors”—had no business playing dual roles as legislators and beneficiaries of government-funded infrastructure projects.

“Members of Congress must not sway procurement processes nor participate in or benefit from government contracts,” Reyes stressed, calling the practice a structural conflict that undermines public trust.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in a video message, confirmed the ICI’s findings and vowed to continue efforts to recover public funds allegedly lost to corruption.

“This is our promise—that the money of the people will be given back to the people,” he said, as the administration intensifies its crackdown on anomalous flood control projects.

Co, who remains at large, was tagged for his links to FS Co Builders and Supply, a firm tied to a family member.

Other lawmakers recommended for prosecution include Construction Workers Solidarity Rep. Edwin Gardiola; Uswag Ilonggo Rep. James Ang Jr.; Pusong Pinoy Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay; Bulacan Rep. Augustina Dominique Pancho; Cagayan Rep. Joseph Lasam Lara; Surigao del Norte Rep. Francisco Matugas; and Tarlac Rep. Noel Rivera.

Their associated companies allegedly cornered around 1,300 projects between 2016 and 2024.

Despite the scale of the alleged irregularities, Reyes remained tight-lipped on the details of the joint referral to the Ombudsman, citing the confidentiality of ongoing investigative work.

He invoked the Constitution’s prohibition on lawmakers maintaining financial interests in government contracts, noting the provision is clear and “long overdue for strict enforcement.”

Reyes also called for the dismantling of what he described as a “culture of contracting in Congress,” saying corruption had become embedded in public infrastructure spending.

“This practice should have ended decades ago,” he said. “The longer we allow it, the more it corrodes public trust. Let us tear down this abusive system one filing at a time.”(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)