PH to coordinate with Sweden vs Zaldy Co —SILG Remulla

The Philippine government will coordinate with Swedish authorities to arrest former lawmaker Zaldy Co amid a warrant against him in connection with anomalous flood control projects, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Thursday.

“Yes we will be. In fact, I'm leaving tonight. I'm going to be making some coordination calls. Maybe you'll hear from me in the next two weeks kung anong mangyayari,” Remulla told reporters in an ambush interview.

Remulla said Philippine authorities are planning to “red flag” the foreign passport of Co. 

“He's using a foreign passport. So nakakaikot siya nang malaya doon. But now we're gonna go harder na ire-red flag namin yung foreign passport niya,” he said.

(He's using a foreign passport. So he can move around freely there. But now we're gonna go harder and red flag his foreign passport.)

“So kinukuha namin yung kopya ng passport then we will put it through Interpol para hindi siya makalabas ng Portugal at kung lumabas, mahuli natin,” he added.

(So we are getting a copy of the passport, and then we will put it through Interpol so he can't leave Portugal, and if he does, we will catch him.)

In December 2025, Co’s Philippine passport was cancelled but he is also holding a Portuguese passport.

In an exclusive report of GMA Integrated News' Joseph Morong on Wednesday, Co has emerged in Stockholm, Sweden at least on January 15 based on an apostille attached to a petition filed with the Supreme Court. 

An apostille is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document.

GMA Integrated News exclusively obtained a copy of the certiorari petition against Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla filed on January 25, showing the apostille that Co personally signed the petition before a notary public in the municipality of Nacka.

Earlier, Remulla reported that there was information that Co was in Lisbon, Portugal. He said he was "surprised" by reports that Co appeared in Sweden.

Arrest warrants have been issued against Co and others, including officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and directors of Sunwest Corp., over alleged irregularities in flood control projects.

On November 18, 2025, the Ombudsman filed corruption and malversation of public funds charges against Co and others with the Sandiganbayan.

The charges are linked to an alleged P289 million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

Co has denied the allegations. —VAL, GMA Integrated News