LIVE UPDATES: Zaldy Co arrested in Prague, Philippines arranging for his return

The Philippine government is confident that former lawmaker Zaldy Co would be brought back to the Philippines.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said this when asked how confident is the administration that Co will be brought back to the country after Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida's trip to Czech Republic.

''Kung Pilipinas lamang po ang pag-uusapan natin, definitely confident po tayo ... (but)  since mayroon pong ibang bansa na involve dito. So, let us just hope na maibalik agad si Zaldy Co dito sa ating bansa,'' Castro said. 

(If we're only talking about the Philippines, of course we're confident... but we have another country involved here. So, let's just hope that Zaldy Co will be brought here.) 

PRAGUE – Former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co has no Portuguese passport, a source in the embassy of Portugal in this city told GMA News.

He said he checked their citizens’ registry, the database of Portuguese citizens with citizen cards or passports, upon learning of Co’s arrest and receiving GMA News’ inquiry on Monday.
“There is no ‘Elizaldy Co’ in our citizens’ registry,” the source said.

However, the source said that Portuguese nationals could still maintain citizenship even without a passport.
He said some citizens may be in the process of applying for or awaiting the arrival of their citizen card–and it could be a reason why a name would not appear in the citizens’ registry.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla will subpoena former House appropriations panel chairperson and Ako Bicol party-list congressman Zaldy Co in the event that Co is arrested by Philippine authorities. 

Remulla, in a press conference, said Co should be able to explain the allegations against him. 

“We will subpoena him to explain matters under investigation [by the Ombudsman],” he said.

The Philippine government will ensure the safety and protection of former lawmaker Zaldy Co, Malacañang said Tuesday.

At a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked whether the government could guarantee Co’s safety and shield him from pressure or influence once he returns to Manila.

Castro said authorities must first establish whether there are credible threats against Co, who has been charged in connection with alleged flood control anomalies.

Malacañang on Tuesday hit back at former presidential spokesman Harry Roque for claiming that the arrest of former lawmaker Zaldy Co was fake news.

''Ang Pangulo po ay nagsalita na. Si Secretary Vida ay nagsalita na rin. So, bakit po ba natin paniniwalaan ang isang fake news peddler?'' Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said in a press briefing.

(The President has already spoken. Secretary Vida has spoken too. So why would we believe a fake news peddler?)

Despite lack of photos or documents proving the arrest of former lawmaker Zaldy Co, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida on Tuesday said that all indicators point to his arrest by Czech authorities.

“Bakit naman magtatanong ang isang ahensya o ang isang government agency na may nakakakilala ba sa taong ito kung wala sa kanila?” he said in a briefing.

(Why would an agency or a government agency ask if anyone knows this person if none of them do?)

“Pero wala talaga pong dokumento na makakapag — okay, pero lahat po ng indikasyon nagsasabi na nandoon po ang kustodiya sa kanila,” he added.

(But there really is no document that can — okay, but all indications say that custody of them is there.)

''We will bring Zaldy Co home and we will do so in accordance with the law."

This was the commitment made by President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Monday in relation to the case of former lawmaker Zaldy Co, who is currently in the custody of Czech Republic authorities. 

Marcos said he already instructed the Department of Justice and the Department of Foreign Affairs to lead in ensuring that due process will be followed in bringing Co back to the Philippines. 

PRAGUE – The Czech Ministry of Justice said it “has not yet received any information” about former Ako Bicol party list Representative Zaldy Co and his arrest by Czech authorities on Thursday.

“The Ministry of Justice has not yet received any information about the person in question. We are in contact with the police, who are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding this person,” the ministry spokesperson Markéta Andrová was quoted by Czech news website Seznam Zpravy as saying on Friday.

The Czech police and the Ministry of the Interior have told GMA News and Czech news outlets they would not comment.

The arrest of former congressman Zaldy Co in Prague, Czech Republic is not related to an International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) red notice, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Atty. Melvin Matibag said.

The former lawmaker was instead arrested for an immigration violation, Matibag said, according to a report by Super Radyo reporter Carlo Mateo on Saturday.

Matibag said the NBI is ready should there be an order to repatriate Co back to the Philippines.

Co, the former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, was arrested in Prague on Thursday evening, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced.

"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.

Marcos on Friday said that Co was stopped at the German border after entering from Czech Republic. 

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.”

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Co is being held at an immigration detention facility.

Remulla on Friday said Co may be returned to the Philippines “within a week or within a month.”

To facilitate his return, the Philippines is pursuing two possible tracks: the issuance of an Interpol red notice and coordination with the Prague government for deportation.

“Parang wala (extradition treaty), we're checking pa. There are two factors to it. Una niyan, nag-apply na kami ng red notice para sa kanya sa Interpol as of November 2025. So, that is still in the process. Hinihintay namin na malabas. Kung mailabas yan, immediately, mababalik siya,” Remulla said.

(First of all, we have applied for a red notice for him at Interpol as of November 2025. So, that is still in the process. We are waiting for him to be released. If that is released, immediately, he will be back.)

A former Ako Bicol Party-list representative, Co is facing charges of graft and malversation in connection with the alleged substandard P289 million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro built by Sunwest Corporation - a firm owned by his immediate family members.

READ: Who is Zaldy Co?

The Sandiganbayan earlier issued a warrant of arrest against Co. —KG, GMA News

Former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co was reportedly with his family when they were stopped and subjected to a random check at the border as they were entering Germany from the Czech Republic.

According to Mariz Umali’s report on “24 Oras,” a source said Co and his family were together in a car with French license plates and driven by a French driver when they went through the border check.

Germany’s more stringent border control, marked by temporary and random checks, was supposed to last only until the first week of April but was extended until September 15.

It was not clear who among his family was with Co but they were among those subjected to the random border checks by the German authorities. Without their travel documents, they were sent back to the Czech Republic.