The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has escalated its international hunt for former Ako Bicol party-list representative Elizalde "Zaldy" Co, issuing a blue notice against the embattled politician at the center of a massive investigation into anomalous flood control projects worth billions of pesos.
Government Confident of Escalation to Red Notice
During a press conference at Camp Crame on Tuesday, November 24, 2025, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla expressed strong confidence that Interpol will soon upgrade the alert to a red notice against the former congressman. Remulla revealed that Co, who was last located in Japan, has been moving between countries using a passport not issued by Philippine authorities to avoid capture.
"We believe he is traveling with another passport. We do not know if he is using another name, so we are still verifying this information," Secretary Remulla told journalists during the briefing.
Understanding Interpol Notices and Legal Status
An Interpol blue notice serves as an international police alert designed to collect additional information about a person's identity, location, or activities related to an ongoing criminal investigation. This differs from the more severe red notice, which represents a formal request for law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and arrest an individual pending extradition or similar legal proceedings.
The Sandiganbayan has already issued a standing arrest warrant for Co along with 15 Department of Public Works and Highways officials and Sunwest Corporation board members. These legal actions stem from discovered irregularities in the implementation of a P289-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro.
Corporate Connections and Project Scale
Sunwest Corporation, which Co co-founded, ranks among the country's top 15 construction firms and has secured approximately 20 percent of all flood control projects in the Philippines between 2022 and 2025. This represents an astonishing P100 billion worth of infrastructure contracts awarded to the company during this three-year period.
Co initially traveled to the United States in July 2025 for medical treatment but has since refused to return to the Philippines amid ongoing government investigations into the flood control anomalies. The former representative has claimed that he and his family face imminent threats to their safety, though government officials have dismissed these assertions as attempts to evade accountability.
The international manhunt continues as Philippine authorities work closely with Interpol to track Co's movements across international borders and build their case for upgrading to a red notice that would authorize his arrest worldwide.
