00:00After months of silence, former Representative Zaldi Kho denies allegations regarding corruption and flood control issues thrown against him.
00:08Kho is not trying to escape from the investigation, this according to his lawyer.
00:13Clarifying death threats is the main reason why he's afraid of going back to the Philippines.
00:18Let's hear more about Kho in this Luisa Erispe report.
00:22So hindi siya tumakbo, let's get that clear.
00:25This was the answer given by the camp of former Representative Zaldi Kho on allegations that he fled out the country to run away from the investigation on the anomalous flood control projects.
00:38According to his legal counsel, Attorney Rui Rondain, Kho did not purposely leave the country.
00:44For the investigation, it was simply due to medical reasons.
00:47Si Hanna remembered that he flew out for medical reasons way before this whole thing blew up.
00:53As of now, Kho is refusing to go back to the country, allegedly due to several death threats he is receiving, especially from social media.
01:10His camp also believes he cannot be protected well enough by the government.
01:14He has a general fear of being shot, whether by a vigilante or by a political enemy, he doesn't know.
01:23The government cannot protect you all the time.
01:26Diba? Walang guarantee na ganyan.
01:29People die in jail, diba?
01:32People with shot in the head and you have heads of state surrounded by 20 armed men who are still downed by a sniper.
01:38The last known location of Zaldico is in Boston, Massachusetts.
01:43According to his counsel, he has no knowledge whether the former salon has actually left the United States or not.
01:50If there are no more threats, he clarified the former lawmaker is willing to face the allegations on a proper forum.
01:57But for now, they will not be filing counter-affidavits before the Ombudsman,
02:02and they will not answer the subpoena from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure or ICI.
02:07They will wait for a formal complaint to be filed for them to submit their affidavit.
02:13He also believes the case has already been prejudged by the Ombudsman.
02:18Thus, they will wait for the case to be filed to be able to appropriate the answer.
02:23The Ombudsman has already prejudged this case.
02:26And this is bolstered by the statements of Secretary Dates Dizon who said 60 people will be in jail by Christmas.
02:32Under these circumstances, there's really no tactical benefit to filing a counter-affidavit.
02:39However, if COA will be invited to the Senate as a resource speaker for the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing,
02:46they are open to answer.
02:48But as early as now, they categorically deny that COA knows who Orly Guteza is.
02:53Guteza claimed during a Blue Ribbon hearing that he was a former aide of COA and that he delivered luggages of cash to his residents.
03:02Now, if you're asking me whether or not there were deliveries to Mr. Representative COA at any time, no.
03:10Categorical.
03:11No, don't have any chismes, don't have any speculation because it won't be in a court of law.
03:15His camp also insisted COA has already 4.1 billion net worth on 2019 based on his SAL-EN.
03:23This was before he became a representative of the lower house.
03:27If ever there was growth on his net worth, they believe it is due to his businesses and not because of his position in government.
03:35Remember that he was a businessman before he was in Congress.
03:38And kung tuwas man yan, nakareport yan sa SAL-EN.
03:41And I'm sure nakareport sa tax returns niya because of the business, not because of Congress.
03:47They also denied that the SAL-EN owns any aircraft.
03:51His council said the three aircrafts that were believed to have left the country is actually owned by the Mesibis Aviation.
03:58His council also insists COA doesn't have the power to make insertions to the national budget.
04:04The ghost flood control projects are allegedly included in the proposed national expenditure program submitted by the Department of Budget and Management, or DBM.
04:14The DBM has answered these allegations by presenting facts.
04:18According to them, the DPWH should answer these allegations as it is the agency that requests funding for certain programs or projects to be included on the NEP.
04:29DBM's role is only to process these requests.
04:33On the part of the Ombudsman and ICI, they remain silent as of now on COS Camp, saying that the case is already prejudged and that he will not file his counter-affidavit.
04:45Luisa Erispe from the National TV Network for a New and Better Philippines.
