Marcos happy with Zaldy Co arrest? 'Definitely,' Palace says

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is pleased with the arrest of former lawmaker Zaldy Co, a key figure in the flood control corruption scandal, by authorities in the Czech Republic, Malacañang said Friday.

In a press conference in Iloilo province, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked if the President was happy with this development given that Co is considered as "big fish" in the multi-billion peso flood control controversy. 

"Definitely, dahil sabi nga po natin ang utos po niya, managot ang dapat na managot. Kung ang isang tao po ay may warrant of arrest, fugitive, cancelled ang passport–, sino po ang hindi matutuwa na ang isang taong fugitive ay maibabalik sa Pilipinas para managot," Castro said. 

(Definitely, because like what we said, he wants to hold accountable those involved in the controversy. If someone has a warrant of arrest, a fugitive, and has a cancelled passport, who's not going to be happy if this fugitive will finally be returned to the Philippines.) 

Asked if the President is prepared for Co's possible "tell-all" given that he's dragging Marcos into the controversy, Castro said the better question is if the former lawmaker is ready to tell the truth.

"Ang dapat na tanong diyan ay kung handa ba si Zaldy Co na magsabi ng katotohanan. Kung handa ba siya na sabihin kung sino–, kung ha. Hindi natin sinasabing siya ay guilty–, kung sino ba iyong kaniyang mga nakasama," she said. 

(We're not saying he's guilty, but the proper question is if Zaldy Co is ready to tell the truth; if he's ready to mention his supposed accomplices. ) 

Castro also reiterated that it was Marcos who initiated an investigation into the corrupt flood control projects, particularly during the President's fourth State of the Nation Address in July 2025.

Months after departing the Philippines in July last year, Co released a series of recorded videos accusing Marcos of orchestrating "fund insertions" in the proposed 2025 budget, and allegedly receiving billions of pesos in kickbacks from alleged anomalous flood control projects. 

Malacañang had dismissed Co's allegations as "lies."

Co, a former chairman of the House committee on appropriations, is facing charges of graft and malversation in connection with an alleged substandard P289-million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

He has 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 Engineer Henry Alcantara. — VDV, GMA News