BI on heightened alert for Zaldy Co, 17 co-accused

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has been placed on heightened alert following the issuance of arrest warrants against former Ako-Bicol Partylist representative Zaldy Co and his 17 co-accused in relation to the anomalous flood control projects.

In a statement Sunday, BI said the names of all accused have been encoded into the agency’s database and will be flagged, verified, and will be responded to if found attempting to depart or enter through any of the country’s airports or seaports.

“Once intercepted, our officers are under strict instruction to promptly coordinate with the Philippine National Police for the proper and lawful execution of the warrants,” Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said.

Meanwhile, BI revealed that 4 of the accused are currently overseas, including Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) OIC–Planning and Design Division Chief Montrexis Tamayo last located in Qatar, Sunwest Inc. President and Board Chairman Aderma Angelie Alcazar in Australia, and Sunwest Inc. treasurer Cesar Buenaventura currently in the United Arab Emirates.

According to the Philippine government, Co’s last location was in Japan. From there, he reportedly returned to Europe by flying first to China on Thursday.

Immigration said that close inter-agency coordination is needed to ensure that the accused cannot evade accountability, and assured that they were fully aligned with law enforcement agencies to ensure the lawful execution of the warrants.

No court orders have been issued to revoke the passport of the former congressman, which can only be denied, cancelled, or restricted if the owner was considered a fugitive from justice, convicted of a criminal offense, or acquired fraudulently. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/RF, GMA Integrated News