Sotto pushes issuance of 'legislative warrant' vs Zaldy Co

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Monday asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to study the feasibility of executing a possible legislative warrant against former Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co.

During the ongoing hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the flood control scandal, Sotto raised the possibility of Co being compelled to appear and submit to a legislative warrant that may be issued by the Philippine Senate.

“There is a variation and I’d like you to look into this and study the possibility. What if there is a legislative warrant of arrest for any person abroad, who is in the country (that) is a member of the IPU, the Inter-Parliamentary Union," he said.

"Is it possible to execute the legislative warrant and can it be used through the IPU?” Sotto asked Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon.

In response, Fadullon said they would look into the matter and see if it would be possible to take that route instead of going through the more tedious process of extradition.

To recall, the same approach was used in the case of former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, when the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender issued an arrest order in July 2024 over the investigation into the raided Philippine offshore gaming operations (Pogo) hub in her town.

Guo was arrested in Tangerang City, Indonesia in September 2024.

Co, on the other hand, is believed to be in Portugal.

In November 2025, arrest warrants were issued against Co and others, including officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and directors of Sunwest Corp., over alleged anomalous flood control projects.

The Ombudsman also filed corruption and malversation of public funds charges against Co and others with the Sandiganbayan.

These charges were in connection with the alleged anomalous P289 million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro. Co has denied the allegations against him.—MCG, GMA Integrated News