From Looting Billions in Public Works to Begging a Judge for a P1.5-Billion Discount – Philippine Politics Speedrun
By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — December 3, 2025
Imagine the scene: NBI agents in raid jackets are kicking in doors at the Midas Hotel & Casino looking for fugitive ex-congressman Zaldy Co like it’s the season finale of a crime drama, while two floors below, his corporate shell Eco Leisure is frantically yanking the handle on the Pasig RTC’s very last slot machine labeled “Vacate Arbitral Award – One More Miracle, Please.”
Jackpot probability? Somewhere between zero and “nice try, congressman.”
DigiPlus already hit the P2.5-billion jackpot in arbitration, and all that’s left is for the sheriff to wheel in the Brinks truck while Zaldy’s empire gets another very public, very expensive L (Inquirer, 30 Nov. 2025).
Popcorn ready? Let’s watch the reels stop spinning.
The Dramatic Personae (or: Everyone You Love to Hate in This Episode)
- Zaldy Co – Former congressman turned full-time fugitive, currently the lead actor in the Sandiganbayan’s long-running series “I Swear the Flood-Control Money Disappeared on Its Own.”
- Eco Leisure and Hospitality Holdings Co. – Zaldy’s corporate shield, now leaking credibility faster than its namesake hotel leaks five-star guests.
- DigiPlus Interactive Corp. – The PSE-listed online-gaming juggernaut that decided sharing a balance sheet with a walking graft probe is bad for the stock price.
- Villaraza & Angcangco – The legal Avengers who just handed DigiPlus a P2.5-billion arbitral knockout and are now circling for the enforcement kill-shot.
- Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 268 – The courtroom now hosting the world’s saddest slot-machine pull.
Arbitration Massacre: When “I’ll Match the Offer” Actually Means “I’ll Pay Whatever I Feel Like”
DigiPlus already won the arbitration so decisively the tribunal probably sent Eco Leisure the bill for the coffee. Under Republic Act No. 9285 (Alternative Dispute Resolution Act of 2004), domestic arbitral awards are more final than death, taxes, and Manila traffic combined. The RTC can only vacate for fraud, corruption, evident partiality, or the arbitrators exceeding their powers – grounds spelled out in Rule 11.4 of the Special Rules of Court on Alternative Dispute Resolution (A.M. No. 07-11-08-SC). Eco Leisure hasn’t even pretended any of those happened—because they didn’t.
The ROFR Comedy Hour: Offering P1 Billion for a P2.5 Billion Porsche and Calling It a “Match”
Third-party buyer: “Here’s P2.5 billion cash.”
Eco Leisure: “We match!” hands over P1 billion and a tear-stained spreadsheet claiming DigiPlus owes P1.5 billion in reimbursements.
That’s not a match, that’s highway robbery wearing a cheap ROFR costume. The Supreme Court has been brutally clear since J.G. Summit Holdings, Inc. v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 124293 (2000): you have to mirror every single material term or go home. And no, you can’t unilaterally invoke legal compensation under Articles 1278–1279 of the Civil Code (Republic Act No. 386) when your alleged counter-debt isn’t due, liquidated, and demandable. The arbitrators saw that excuse coming from Pampanga.
Why They’re Really Fighting: Survival vs. Cash-Out-and-Ghost
DigiPlus: De-risking a Politically Exposed Person (PEP) on steroids. When the NBI is raiding the hotel you co-own, you sell faster than a meme coin during a rug-pull.
Zaldy Co & Eco Leisure: Every peso that stays in the vault is one more peso for criminal lawyers, bail bonds, or the next five-star hideout’s minibar tab.
Fallout: One Side Loses a Hotel, the Other Gains a Halo
Lose here and Zaldy’s empire gets another P2.5-billion crater right when the Sandiganbayan is already circling with measuring tape.
Win here and DigiPlus gets to strut in front of investors shouting, “See? We don’t just beat the house—we evict the corrupt former owners too.”
Barok’s Loving Advice (You Didn’t Ask, But Here It Is Anyway)
To Eco Leisure: Start flipping every sofa in the Midas VIP lounge. Maybe the missing P1.5 billion is hiding with Zaldy’s conscience.
To DigiPlus: When the RTC confirms the award, rent the shiniest Brinks truck in Manila, park it under the Midas marquee, and livestream the victory lap.
Final Prophecy
The odds of Eco Leisure overturning this award are slightly lower than Zaldy Co walking into the Sandiganbayan tomorrow with a sincere apology and full restitution.
Translation: the house (DigiPlus) already won. Time to pay up or get carried out.
Key Citations
Primary News Source
- Tan, Alyssa Nicole O. “Zaldy Co Facing Another Blow in Hotel Feud vs DigiPlus.” Inquirer.net, 30 Nov. 2025. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
Primary Legal Sources
- Philippines. Alternative Dispute Resolution Act of 2004. Republic Act No. 9285. 2 Apr. 2004. LawPhil.
- Philippines. Civil Code of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 386. 18 June 1949. Official Gazette.
- Supreme Court of the Philippines. J.G. Summit Holdings, Inc. v. Court of Appeals. G.R. No. 124293, 24 Nov. 2000, LawPhi.
- Supreme Court of the Philippines. Special Rules of Court on Alternative Dispute Resolution. A.M. No. 07-11-08-SC, 1 Sept. 2009, LawPhi.
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KWEBA ni BAROK 
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