Malacañang Denies Involvement in Ouster of Rep. Elizaldy Co from Appropriations Committee Chair

MANILA – The Palace has firmly denied any involvement in the removal of Ako Bikol party-list Representative Elizaldy Co from his position as chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, according to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. In a statement to the press, Bersamin emphasized that the decision was entirely within the purview of Congress, stating, “I have no opinion on that. That’s the discretion of the Congress.” The move to declare the chairmanship vacant was initiated by Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative and House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos during a plenary session, and it passed without any objections. Bersamin reiterated that the executive branch does not interfere in the operations of the House of Representatives, saying, “No, we don’t have a hand in that because we’re the executive branch.” Co cited health issues as his reason for stepping down, explaining that the demands of the chairmanship had adversely affected his health, necessitating a focus on his medical needs. Following Co’s departure, Marikina City Representative Stella Quimbo has been appointed as the acting chair of the committee.