Filipinos abroad asked to help find Zaldy Co

National

INTERIOR Secretary Jonvic Remulla has appealed to Filipinos overseas to help locate fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co, who is wanted for his alleged role in widespread corruption in government flood control projects.

In a briefing at Malacañang on Monday, Dec. 1, Remulla said Co is believed to be hiding in Portugal and may be using a Portuguese passport he obtained “many years ago” to move freely across Europe.

Remulla urged anyone abroad who spots Co to take photos and send them to authorities or post them online to help track his movements.

In a report by Inquirer.net, Remulla f said he could not confirm whether Co holds a standard Portuguese passport or obtained residency through Portugal’s “golden visa” program, which grants a five-year permit in exchange for significant investments.

Any effort to bring Co home will be complicated by the fact that the Philippines has no extradition treaty with Portugal.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that, despite the warrant for Co’s arrest, his Philippine passport has not yet been canceled.

Co is considered a central figure in the corruption scheme, allegedly receiving billions of pesos in kickbacks during his tenure as chair of the House appropriations committee from 2022 to 2025.

He has denied all accusations and claims he left the country in July for medical reasons and due to threats against his family. A company linked to him, Sunwest Inc., is also under scrutiny for substandard infrastructure projects.

The Sandiganbayan has issued arrest warrants against Co and 15 others from the DPWH and Sunwest over an anomalous road dike project in Oriental Mindoro. Nine suspects are already in custody, while seven—including Co—remain at large.(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)