Lawyer: Zaldy Co does not own any aircraft

The camp of former lawmaker Zaldy Co on Wednesday denied that he owns any aircraft, a statement coming amid reports that three air assets tied to him have left the country.

“Si Representative Co, wala siyang minamay-ari na any aircraft. I understand that any aircraft related to him is owned by Misibis Corporation. Separate si Mr. Co sa Misibis,” lawyer Ruy Rondain, Co’s legal counsel, said in a briefing.

(Representative Co does not own any aircraft. I understand that any aircraft related to him is owned by Misibis Corporation. Mr. Co is separate from Misibis.)

Co is one of the acknowledged owners of Misibis Bay Corporation, which owns the luxury Misibis Bay Resort, Estates and Spa, a prominent five-hectare private island resort located on Cagraray Island in Bacacay, Albay.

A related company, Misibis Aviation and Development Corporation, also allegedly owned by Co, was cited for owning the expensive air assets that were reportedly used, in part, to ferry VIP guests to the remote resort.

To recall, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) previously requested the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to freeze billions of pesos-worth of air assets registered to companies related to Co, a former Ako Bicol party-list representative, and his brother Christopher. 

In particular, a total of US$74.650 million worth of aircraft (about P4.3 billion at the current exchange rate), including a US$36-million Gulfstream 350 and US$16-million Agusta Westland AW139 are registered under Misibis, which is allegedly led by Co's son Michael Ellis.

In addition, Rondain said Co’s legal team will file charges against the individuals who leaked the alleged flight details of the former party-list lawmaker.

Co left the country earlier this year for supposedly medical reasons. He has yet to return amid the investigations into the budget insertions and anomalous flood control projects which supposedly sprouted during his tenure as House appropriations chair.

Posts on social media divulging Co’s alleged location and flight details previously cropped up after he was linked to the supposed flood control anomalies.

“We’re not conceding na tama ‘yun, ano, pero violation ‘yun ng Data Privacy Act. I will sue kung malaman namin kung sino. We will sue kung sino man ‘yung nag leak nun. Without conceding na valid. Bastos eh,” he said.

(We’re not conceding that (the social media posts are) correct, but that’s a violation of the Data Privacy Act. I will sue if we find out who did it. We will sue whoever leaked that. Without conceding it’s valid. It’s disrespectful.)

In September, Co 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. —MCG, GMA Integrated News