Zaldy Co's passport remains active as DFA yet to receive court order for revocation

Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co's passport remains active, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.

According to the DFA, Co's passport can not be revoked unless it receives a court order instructing the agency to do so.

"The DFA has not received any court order instructing the cancellation of Zaldy Co’s passport," DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona said.

The DFA has repeatedly stated that it can only cancel Philippine passports issued to Filipino citizens "upon receipt of a court order issued by a competent Philippine court."

"This is pursuant to Sections 4 and 10 of RA 11983 or the New Philippine Passport Act. As of this time, the Department has not received such an order," the DFA said in a previous statement.

Co, who headed the House Appropriations Committee during the 19th Congress, resigned as a member of the House of Representatives following allegations of his involvement in widespread irregularities in government flood control projects.

He has since been charged with graft and malversation of public funds in connection with a P289-million substandard flood control prject in Naujan, Occidetal Mindoro.

Warrants of arrest have been issued against Co and 17 others, including Public Works officials and those from Sunwest Corp., a private construction firm owned by the lawmaker accused of receiving large amounts of kickbacks from flood control projects. Co denied the allegations.

There are three grounds for denial, cancellation or restrictions of passport - if the passport holder is a fugitive from justice, when the holder has been convicted of a criminal offense, and when a passport was acquired fraudulently or was tampered with. –NB, GMA Integrated News