Marcos: If grounds enough, we will immediately cancel Zaldy Co's passport

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Thursday explained why the passport of resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co, who has been linked to alleged corruption in flood control projects, has yet to be cancelled, saying that no case has been filed yet against him.

''The legal answer is because hindi pa nasampahan ng kaso (no case has been filed), therefore the request for the cancellation of his passport cannot yet be made,'' Marcos said in a briefing.

Marcos added said that if there are sufficient grounds already to cancel the passport of Co, the government will immediately do so.

''However, when the time comes, we will immediately cancel his passport,'' said the President.

Co, who went abroad for medical reasons, has yet to return to the country amid the ongoing investigation into budget insertions and flood control projects.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin ''Boying'' Remulla earlier said criminal charges against the former Ako Bicol party-list representative would be filed in two weeks. 

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) had recommended filing graft, malversation, and falsification charges against Co and other Department of Public Works and Highways officials over their alleged links to the P289.5 million road dike project along the Mag-Asawang Tubig River in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

His legal counsel, Ruy Rondain, has claimed that Remulla had already prejudged his client. Co has also consistently denied these accusations and vowed to address them in a proper forum.

The Ombudsman previously pointed out that Co could best prove his innocence by returning to the Philippines. —VAL, GMA Integrated News