3 Zaldy Co-linked air assets left Philippines — CAAP

Three registered air assets connected to former Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co have left the country, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Wednesday.

“Two AgustaWestland helicopters are currently in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, having flown there on August 20 and September 11, respectively,” the CAAP said in a statement.

“Meanwhile, the Gulfstream aircraft has been in Singapore since August 16,” it added.

CAAP said it continues to closely monitor all registered air assets in accordance with the law.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, however, shrugged off this development.

“Ang kagandahan is… kahit wala na sila sa bansa, dahil hindi na sila pwedeng i-deregister sa ating CAAP ay hindi sila maibibenta,” Dizon told reporters in an ambush interview in Manila.

(The good thing is… although these air assets are already out of the country, these cannot be deregistered with the CAAP thus it cannot be put on sale.)

Last month, the Public Works chief revealed that the CAAP has foiled attempts by companies related to Co to “deregister” three choppers being requested to be frozen by the DPWH.

To recall, the DPWH has requested the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to freeze billions of pesos worth of air assets registered to companies related to Zaldy Co and his brother Christopher Co. 

In particular, a total of $74.650 million worth of aircraft (about P4.3 billion at the current exchange rate), including a $36-million Gulfstream 350 and $16-million Agusta Westland AW1399 are registered under Misibis Aviation, which is led by Zaldy Co's son Michael Ellis.

Choppers registered under Misibis Aviation included two Augusta Westland AW1398 (worth $16 million each), two Bell 4017 (worth $3 million each), and a Bell 206B3 (worth $650,000).

New subpoena

On Tuesday, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) issued a new subpoena to Co, who has yet to return to the country amid allegations of his involvement in anomalous flood control projects.

Co has denied the allegations.

In September, he resigned as a member of the House of Representatives, citing “real, direct, grave and imminent threat” to him and his family as well as the “evident denial” of his rights to due process.

The ICI has recommended the possible filing of graft, malversation, and falsification charges with the Ombudsman against Co over his alleged links to the P289.5 million road dike project along the Mag-Asawang Tubig River in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. —AOL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News