MANILA. Former Ako Bicol party-list representative Elizalde “Zaldy” Co is no longer under the custody of the Czech Republic authorities, according to acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida.
In a press conference in the Czech Republic, Vida said Co is within the Schengen area but could not provide his exact whereabouts.
“I have to share difficult news, mga kababayan. Czech authorities have informed us that Mr. Zaldy Co is no longer in their custody,” he said. “What we can confirm is that he is within the Schengen area.”
Vida led the Philippine delegation sent to the Czech Republic to process the possible return of Co following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s announcement that Co had been arrested there.
He said Czech authorities did not provide any information on where Co might have gone, citing their country’s Schengen rules and data privacy provisions.
“They were pointing to a possible police cooperation agreement, which we don’t have,” said Vida. “I am disappointed by the lack of knowledge. They expressed that they understand the gravity of the case and the Filipino public. I am confused about the legal parameters from which this is coming.”
Co was reportedly intercepted by Czech authorities as he, along with his family, attempted to enter Germany from the Czech Republic. Vida said Co was carrying an expired passport when he was accosted.
According to records from the Bureau of Immigration, Co has three passports. One expired on September 11, 2022. The other two include his official passport as a member of the House of Representatives and another that, according to Marcos, had been canceled in December but was supposedly valid until 2032.
Vida maintained, however, that they will not return to the Philippines empty-handed, as they have obtained important information about Co. He said they will relay “actionable intelligence” to the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime.
Both Philippine and Czech officials also agreed to begin negotiations on pertinent agreements for mutual legal assistance, extradition, and the transfer of sentenced persons.
Co has a standing arrest warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan over the anomalous P289 million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. The former lawmaker is central to investigations into flood control anomalies after several witnesses pointed to him as a recipient of billions of pesos in kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects.
Construction firm Sunwest Corporation, co-founded by Co, is among the top 15 construction firms that bagged 20 percent or P100 billion worth of flood control projects in the country from 2022 to 2025.
In a series of video statements, Co pointed at Marcos and his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, as the recipients of kickbacks from the anomalous flood control projects. He claimed that P56 billion worth of kickbacks from flood control projects in Bulacan were given to Marcos and Romualdez.
Co said he will provide evidence for his claims but is afraid to return to the country due to the imminent threat against him and his family’s lives. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
