Insertions

While in the middle of an investigative journalism conference along with several journalists, we were taken aback when our phones buzzed almost simultaneously. A notification popped up: longtime missing, resigned congressman Zaldy Co had resurfaced through a video statement. His sudden reappearance alone was enough to stir the room, but it was what he said that left many of us exchanging knowing glances. He alleged that the president himself asked him to insert certain projects into the national budget. It was an explosive claim, and

- Annie Perez

one that, like all allegations, demands careful and thorough verification before anyone takes it as truth. Still, the statement resurrected the issue that has dominated the news agenda for months. We are all familiar with flood-control projects and the scandal surrounding them.