DFA: Zaldy Co return requires joint action across agencies

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said securing the return of resigned Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, who is wanted for his alleged involvement in the flood control scandal, is not its responsibility alone, but requires joint collaboration among concerned agencies. 

This was after Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the DFA is now the lead agency tasked to handle Co’s return to the country after several months of hiding in a still unknown country.

Some reports suggest that Co, who holds a Portuguese passport, is in Portugal.

“While the DFA values the DILG’s collaboration, the DFA clarifies that Mr. Co’s arrest and repatriation involve coordinated law enforcement and judicial processes, particularly Interpol coordination,” said Foreign Affairs spokesperson Angelica Escalona.

She said Remulla’s view that the matter rests solely up to the DFA “does not fully capture this whole-of-government approach, which requires joint action across concerned government agencies.”

The DFA, she added, reaffirms its commitment to the rule of law and in ensuring that Filipino nationals facing legal accountability return to the country to face due process. 

Escalona said the DFA is ready to provide diplomatic assistance as long as it is “within its mandate and in line with established protocols.”

Meanwhile, the agency called on the public to share any information on Co’s whereabouts to support these efforts. 

Co, who headed the House Appropriations Committee during the 19th Congress, resigned as a member of the House of Representatives in 2025 following allegations of his involvement in widespread irregularities in government flood control projects.

Since the flood control anomalies came under intense spotlight and various investigations, including by Congress and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, several engineers and officials, former and incumbent, of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and owners of construction companies have been indicted on corruption and malversation charges and detained for trial. 

Several anti-corruption groups and Roman Catholic church leaders, however, expressed frustration that influential members of the House and Senate, who were implicated in the anomalies, have continued to evade indictments and detention. — JMA, GMA Integrated News