Manila: First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos merely shrugged off former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co's 'baseless' allegation about her alleged links to the onion and rice cartel, Malaca±ang said on Friday. 'Kilala po natin ang First Lady kung paano mag-react sa mga ganitong negatibo na mga balita, mga kwentong walang basehan. Magkikibit-balikat lang ang First Lady. (We know how the First Lady reacts to these kinds of negative news, stories without basis. The First Lady will just shrug it off),' Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters.
According to Philippines News Agency, Castro made the remarks after Co, in a video message released on Wednesday, alleged that the First Lady and her brother, Martin Araneta, were benefiting from agricultural imports. Co also accused Araneta-Marcos of 'personally intervening' in a 2022 House investigation into the spike in onion prices, as well as a 2024 inquiry into the soaring prices of rice, following her brother's reported involvement in the crisis.
Castro said the public 'knows what the truth is,' noting that several people, including Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., have already defended the First Lady and clarified the matter. 'Makikita naman po natin kung ano talaga ang motibo dito. Sabi nga natin, mas maganda po na kung meron siyang video, dapat lahatan para hindi unti-unti at nagagamot kung ano ang pagkakamali sa mga una, pangalawa, pangatlong video (We can see what the real motive behind this is. As we said, it's better that if there is a video, it should be complete so that mistakes in the first, second, or third video are not addressed bit by bit),' she said.
Castro echoed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s call for Co to return to the country and face the consequences of his alleged involvement in flood control anomalies. 'At ang hamon nga ng Pangulo, umuwi siya dito. Sabihin niya ang lahat ng kaniyang sinasabi at patunayan niya ang katotohanan na sinasabi niya dito sa bansa at manumpa siya na yun ay katotohanan (And the challenge from the President is for him to come home here. He should say everything he is claiming and prove the truth of what he is saying in this country, and swear that it is indeed the truth),' she said.
