FACT CHECK: Video of Zaldy Co claiming Marcos gov’t is harassing critics is AI-generated

Claim: Former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co has resurfaced to defend critics of the Marcos administration, saying dissenters are being intimidated and abducted to suppress the truth behind the flood control corruption scandal. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook video bearing the claim was posted on June 17, and has since garnered over 69,100 views 2,200 reactions, 950 shares, and 230 saves. 

In the video, Co is shown saying: “Nagpasya akong magpakita ngayon dahil hindi ko na matiis ang mga balita tungkol sa diumano’y pagdukot at panggigipit sa mga taong walang kalaban-laban — lalo na sa mga nagsasalita at kumokontra sa administrasyon. Tila may mga taong natatakot na lumabas ang katotohanan kaya pilit na pinagtatakpan ang mga tunay na pananagutan sa usapin ng flood control project scandal.”

(I decided to surface today because I can no longer tolerate reports of alleged abductions and harassment targeting helpless people, particularly those speaking out against the administration. It seems some individuals are terrified of the truth coming out and are desperate to cover up who is truly accountable in the flood control project scandal.) 

The facts: Hive Moderation’s deepfake content detection software flagged the video as 98.4% likely to be artificial intelligence (AI)-generated. Deepware, another AI detection tool, similarly flagged the clip as 99% likely to be a deepfake.

There are also no new videos posted on Co’s official Facebook page since his November 2025 video statement, in which he accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former House speaker Martin Romualdez of being the masterminds behind the 2025 budget insertions.

In April, Malacañang said Co is seeking asylum in France, after earlier being detained in the Czech Republic due to invalid documentation.

The fugitive former lawmaker has been on the run since leaving the Philippines in July 2025.

Flood control corruption: Co has been implicated in several corruption allegations involving public infrastructure, including alleged irregularities in the procurement and construction of a P289.5-million flood control project along the Mag-asawang Tubig River in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Before entering politics, the former Ako Bicol Party-list representative was a longtime contractor. Sunwest, a company linked to him, ranked eighth among the firms with the highest number of flood control contracts under the Marcos administration. From 2016 to 2024, the construction firm secured P38 billion in government projects.

Co resigned from Congress on September 29, 2025, after the House issued an ultimatum demanding his return to the country following his consecutive absences since the start of the 20th Congress.

In November 2025, Co released a three-part video accusing Marcos of receiving P25 billion in kickbacks from 2025 budget insertions. 

Debunked: Rappler has previously debunked similar claims using AI tools to imitate Co and other public officials: 

• FACT CHECK: Video of Zaldy Co criticizing corrupt officials is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: AI-manipulated clip misrepresents Zaldy Co video on flood control scandal
• FACT CHECK: Video of Zaldy Co alleging selective prosecution is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: Videos of Zaldy Co in Paris are AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: Video of Zaldy Co claiming Dutertes ordered him to ‘defame’ Marcos is AI-generated

– Reinnard Balonzo/Rappler.com 

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