'Zaldy's Forbes Park house has five-floor vault'

Resigned Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co was building a house with a five-story basement at the exclusive Forbes Park subdivision in Makati City, allegedly to store large sums of money, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed yesterday.

- By EMMANUEL TUPAS

Remulla said authorities learned of the construction through their investigation, including documents submitted to the village association related to the house.

While basements are typically intended for parking vehicles, Remulla said they received information that Co planned to use the structure as a storage facility for money.

He noted that the basement was designed to be waterproof, a feature that could protect its contents in case of fire.

"To our knowledge, it was going to be used for storage of money, because fires go upwards so they put the money below, in the lowest point of the house," Remulla said during a press conference at Camp Crame.