Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong has had enough.
On Thursday, June 11, 2026, he walked into the Marawi City Prosecutors Office and filed a cyber libel complaint against 18 people — the former bodyguards of ex-Rep. Zaldy Co.
These 18 individuals, several of them former soldiers, have been accused of funneling kickbacks from flood control projects to politicians and government officials. And they allegedly named Adiong as one of those who received a luggage of money delivered at the House of Representatives.
Adiong isn't happy about it.
“It’s very ridiculous in the first place. Never in my life I’ve seen a…” he said, according to the source, though the rest of his statement was cut off.
The complaint was filed at the Marawi City Prosecutors Office. The city is the capital of Lanao del Sur province, which Adiong represents in Congress.
Adiong is the son of former Lanao del Sur governor Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr. He's been a vocal critic of corruption in government infrastructure projects.
Zaldy Co, the former representative whose ex-bodyguards are at the center of this case, served as a congressman for the same province. He was also a former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The ex-bodyguards reportedly worked for him before he left office.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has already interviewed these 18 individuals, according to NBI Director Jaime Matibag. The NBI is likely investigating the alleged kickback scheme involving flood control funds.
Flood control projects in the Philippines have long been a magnet for corruption. In recent years, several lawmakers and officials have been implicated in the misuse of billions of pesos meant for flood mitigation infrastructure. That money was supposed to protect communities from devastating floods.
Adiong's cyber libel case now adds a new layer: the former bodyguards didn't just spill the beans to investigators. They also went public with their accusations, allegedly posting or spreading statements online that Adiong says are false and defamatory.
Cyber libel in the Philippines can carry a penalty of up to 12 years in prison under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. It's a serious charge, but proving it requires showing that the statements were made with malice and that they were indeed false.
The case will now go through preliminary investigation at the Marawi City Prosecutors Office. The prosecutors will decide if there is probable cause to bring the 18 respondents to trial.
Meanwhile, the NBI investigation into the alleged flood control kickback scheme continues. If the ex-bodyguards' claims are true, it could implicate more officials beyond Adiong.
For now, Adiong is fighting back in court — not just against the accusation, but against the people who made it.