Sandiganbayan archives graft case against fugitive Zaldy Co over flood control project

The Sandiganbayan has archived the criminal case of resigned congressman and fugitive Elizady “Zaldy” Co, the graft court announced Friday.

In a “24 Oras” report by Raffy Tima, the court decided to archive Co’s graft case because he remains at large more than six months after the arrest warrant was issued.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has also submitted the Return of the Warrant because they were not able to find Co in any of the addresses disclosed in the document.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) explained that archiving of cases is a normal resolution issued by courts and does not affect the merit of the case.

“It is a mere administrative order, in fact, admin lang ito… para ‘yung mga korte natin is ‘yun na nga hindi naka-clot. So kung halimbawa ay hindi naman talaga mahuhuli-huli ‘yung akusado ay bakit ba nilalagay pa sa schedule ng korte ‘yon,” IBP National President Atty. Allan Panolong said.

(It is a mere administrative order—in fact, it's just administrative—so that our courts will not be cluttered. If, for example, the accused really cannot be caught, why should it still be kept on the court’s schedule?)

In November 2025, the Office of the Ombudsman filed a graft case against Co over the allegedly anomalous P289-million dike flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

The Ombudsman said Co was identified as the owner of Sunwest Incorporated, which is one of the contractors of the anomalous project.

Co served as the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee during the finalization of the 2025 national budget, which was deemed to have “irregularities.”

Panolong clarified that the archiving of a case does not mean it is dismissed—in the moment that Co was arrested or surrendered, his trial for the case will be scheduled on the court’s calendar.

“Since he is deemed to be [a] fugitive from justice, so walang prescription ito. Kasi kalaban ka nga ng batas e, hinahabol ka e. So kahit magtago pa siya nang ilang dekada e pag nahuli siya talagang he will be brought to answer before the court of justice,” Panolong said.

(Since he is deemed to be a fugitive from justice, there is no prescription period for this. Because you are an adversary of the law, you are being pursued. So even if he hides for several decades, when he is caught, he will truly be brought to answer before the court of justice.)

The lawyer added that regardless of the case's gravity, archiving follows court guidelines for criminal cases: if a suspect remains unarrested six months after a warrant is issued, the court archives the case in the meantime.

Last year in November, authorities tried but failed to serve the arrest warrant for Co at the houses and condominium units that were declared in the document.

In April, the Philippine government said it received information that Co might be in the Czech Republic, after the former lawmaker was denied entry at the German border due to incomplete documents.

The last information on Co’s whereabouts is that he is in France and is seeking asylum in the country.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla told GMA News that they are still reviewing the resolution of the Sandiganbayan.

Meanwhile, the NBI, Philippine National Police, and the Ombudsman have yet to issue a comment on the issue. –Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/NB, GMA News