Claim: Reacting to allegations made by former congressman Zaldy Co against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Senate President Tito Sotto said the following statement in a quote card circulating online:
"Puro imbento ang paratang ni Zaldy Co -- kampo ng Duterte, nasa likod ng viral video para iligtas ang sarili nilang pangalan."
(Zaldy Co's allegations are completely fabricated -- Duterte's camp is behind the viral video to clear their own name.)
Why we fact-checked this: A quote card posted on Facebook last November 17 attributed a statement to Sotto regarding the viral videos of Co in which he implicated Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the 2025 budget insertion scheme.
The quote card features Sotto claiming that the Duterte camp orchestrated Co's video exposé. As of writing, the post has garnered over 33,000 reactions, 20,000 comments, and 885 shares.
The facts: The quote attributed to Sotto is fake. There is no credible evidence that the Senate President made this statement or accused the Duterte camp of orchestrating Co's videos. No such statement can be found cited in news reports, Senate records, or Sotto's social media page.
Instead, what Sotto has consistently said is that he would not comment on allegations not made under oath. In a DWIZ 882 radio interview on November 17, Sotto cautioned the public against believing everything on social media, especially following allegations raised by Co against Marcos and Romualdez.
He stressed the need for careful scrutiny of claims from various personalities and warned against misinformation.
"Hindi basta-basta lahat sinabi ng ibang tao ay pwede nating paniwalaan. Sabi ko nga, zero accountability, zero credibility," he said.
(We can't just believe everything other people say. As I said, zero accountability, zero credibility.)
Reacting to Co's allegations, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson similarly said Co's claims had "no probative value" because they were not made under oath -- but like Sotto, Lacson made no reference to the Duterte camp allegedly being involved in creating or orchestrating the videos.
Bicam insertion allegations: The quote card stems from allegations made by Co in a three-part video series posted on his official Facebook page from November 14 to 16, where the former House appropriations committee chair accused Marcos and Romualdez of orchestrating P100 billion in insertions in the 2025 national budget.
"Lahat ng mga sinasabi ni Zaldy Co ay pawang mga imbento lamang; walang basehan, walang ebidensiya. Umuwi muna siya sa Pilipinas at sumpaan ang kaniyang mga sinabi at harapin ang mga demanda o kaso laban sa kaniya," Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a press briefing on November 14.
(All of Zaldy Co's claims are just fabrications; no basis, no evidence. He should first go back to the Philippines and make the statements under oath and face the lawsuits or cases against him.)
Co, who remains abroad, has been a no-show in congressional hearings into the flood control controversy in which he has been implicated. - Cyril Bocar/Rappler.com
Efren Cyril Bocar is a journalist from Llorente, Eastern Samar who graduated in English Language Studies at the Visayas State University. Cyril is also a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024.