Zaldy Co arrested in Prague – Marcos

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday night announced the arrest in Prague of former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, one of the key figures in the massive corruption that affected flood control projects in the country.

Marcos made the confirmation in posts on his Facebook and X accounts.

“Nahuli na si Zaldy Co (Zaldy Co has been arrested). He is now detained in Prague after crossing into the Czech Republic without proper documentation and is currently in the custody of Czech authorities,” the President said.

He added that the Philippine government is in “close coordination with the Czech government to ensure that all legal processes are followed and to arrange for his return to the Philippines at the soonest possible time.”

“We will keep the public informed as developments unfold,” Marcos added.

PNP reaching out to int’l counterparts

In a statement, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it reaching out to other government agencies and international counterparts to verify the details of Co’s arrest.

“The PNP is coordinating with concerned government agencies and international law enforcement counterparts to verify the details of this development through official channels,” PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.

“The PNP stands ready to provide necessary assistance and support in ensuring that all legal processes are properly observed, including coordination for his possible return to the Philippines,” he added.

DFA

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has yet to acquire information about Co.

“Regarding Zaldy Co, we have no information for now,” DFA said in a statement.

“We are waiting for report from our Embassy, but none as of now. We will provide an update as soon as the information becomes available. Thank you,” it added.

Charged before Sandiganbayan

Co, a former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, is facing charges of graft and malversation along with 15 others in connection with an alleged substandard P289 million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

In September 2025, Co denied allegations that he received kickbacks from ghost flood control projects as alleged in a Senate inquiry by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Enginner Henry Alcantara.

On September 29, Co resigned from the House of Representatives following the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) recommendation to the Ombudsman of the possible filing of graft, malversation, and falsification charges against him and several officials of the DPWH in Oriental Mindoro.

Before the Sandiganbayan on April 7, a lawyer with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) testified that Co received P802 million from Sunwest Construction, the contractor of the alleged ghost P289-million flood control project in Naujan.

Sunwest Construction

Atty. Jan Mark Busa said Co received the P802 million through check deposits drawn from Sunwest accounts from 2019 to 2025.

The period covers Co’s tenure as an Ako Bicol party-list representative. As a public official, he is prohibited by law from having business interests.

Ombudsman prosecutors later told reporters that Co’s receipt of P802 million from Sunwest supports their claim that he remained the company’s beneficial owner and did not divest, contrary to his earlier statements.

“Co has no direct participation in the transaction [of the project] because the one contracting with the DPWH is Sunwest. But the fact that he’s the beneficial owner, which we are trying to prove, essentially shows that the benefits and amounts [from Sunwest] went to him,” the prosecution panel said.

Co and his co-accused, who are Sunwest officials, remain at large.

‘Fugitive from justice’

In March, the Sandiganbayan upheld its declaration that Co was a fugitive from justice.

In November last year, Co came out with a series of videos accusing Marcos and his cousin, former Speaker Martin Romualdez, of orchestrating P100 billion in alleged insertions in the national budget.

The former lawmaker also alleged that Marcos and Romualdez received up to P56 billion in kickbacks from alleged anomalous flood control projects.

The President and the former Speaker both denied the allegations against them. Romualdez maintained that he has a clear conscience, while Marcos initially said he does not want to dignify Co’s claims.

In a press briefing in late November, Marcos dared Co to come home and face the charges of involvement in the flood control scandal against him. — JMA/NB/LDF, GMA News