FACT CHECK: Video of Zaldy Co criticizing corrupt officials is AI-generated

Claim: A video shows former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co criticizing corrupt officials. 

Rating: FALSE 

Why we fact-checked this: The video bearing the claim has received 112,000 views, 6,200 reactions, 2,200 shares, and 345 comments as of writing. It was posted on Facebook on December 8, 2025, following Co’s revelations of alleged insertions in the 2025 budget. The video continues to draw engagement from social media users. 

In the video, Co is shown saying, “Wala silang tunay na malasakit sa taumbayan. Ang pera ng mamamayan ay ginawa nilang negosyo at ang kaban ng bayan ay tila personal nilang bangko. Ang mas masaklap, mismong makapangyarihang pamilya, wala silang tunay na malasakit sa taumbayan.” 

(They have no real concern for the people. They have turned the people’s money into a business and the public treasury into their personal bank. What’s worse, the powerful families themselves have no real concern for the people.)

Several Facebook users believe the video to be genuine, with some commenters agreeing with Co’s alleged statement. One wrote, “Totoo yang sinabi [ni] Zaldy Co (What Zaldy Co said is true).” 

The facts: While Co did make certain allegations in his series of “tell-all” videos released in November 2025, he did not make the statements in the circulating video, which was generated using AI tools.

Deepfake detector Hive Moderation flagged the video at the 00:05 time stamp as 70% likely to be generated using AI, while Sight Engine flagged a screenshot of Co’s face from the video as 93% likely to be AI-generated.

The post did not include a disclaimer that the video was AI-generated, which confused social media users.

No exact match: The exact statement shown in the AI-generated video cannot be found in any of Co’s videos posted on November 24, 25, and 26, 2025.

The closest match was Co’s message in his November 26 video at the 7:42-8:02 mark, in which he said, “Wala silang malasakit sa taumbayan lalo na sa mahihirap. Inaabuso ang kapangyarihan, nagiging negosyo ang pera ng taumbayan. Masakit man tanggapin pero ito ang katotohanan, ang pinaka-makapangyarihang pamilya pa mismo ang sangkot sa ganitong sistema.” 

(They have no concern for the people, especially the poor. Power is being abused, and the people’s money is being turned into a business. It may be painful to accept, but this is the truth: even the most powerful families are involved in this system.)

In this clip, Co was accusing First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and her brother, Martin Araneta, of meddling with the importation of agricultural goods, allegedly causing the price increase of certain products such as round scad or galunggong. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. denied these allegations, saying the personalities mentioned have never meddled with the operations of the Department of Agriculture.

Additionally, comparing the AI-generated video and Co’s video, it can be observed that in the genuine clip, the former lawmaker was not looking directly at the camera throughout the duration of the video as he was reading his script.

Budget insertion: Co, a central figure in the flood control scandal, released videos in November 2025 alleging the involvement of the Marcoses in anomalous budget insertions.

Co claimed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former House speaker Martin Romualdez masterminded the insertion of P100 billion worth of projects in the 2025 national budget, and that the President received P25 billion in kickbacks.

In a series of photos posted on November 25, 2025, Co also accused presidential son and Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos of P50.9 billion budget insertions. 

“Hindi lang po ang Pangulo ang may insertion sa budget. Pati po si Congressman Sandro Marcos, meron din pong pinapasok taon-taon,” Co said.

(The President is not the only one who has insertions in the budget. Even Congressman Sandro Marcos puts something in every year.)

Co headed the House appropriations committee under the 20th Congress until he was removed from the position in January 2025 amid the budget mess. 

Previous fact checks: Rappler has previously debunked similar claims about Co: 

• FACT CHECK: Video of Zaldy Co alleging selective prosecution is AI-generated 
• FACT CHECK: AI-manipulated clip misrepresents Zaldy Co video on flood control scandal 
• FACT CHECK: Zaldy Co is alive 
• FACT CHECK: Videos of Zaldy Co in Paris are AI-generated 

– Angelee Kaye Abelinde/Rappler.com 

Angelee Kaye Abelinde is a student journalist based in Naga City, and an alumna of Rappler’s Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship 2024. 

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