Malacañang Speaks on Pres. Bongbong Marcos over Zaldy Co
BONGBONG MARCOS – Malacañang said the Philippine President is “disappointed” to know that Zaldy Co is no longer under the custody of Czech authorities.
Many Filipinos have been urging the Philippine government to secure the return of former Cong. Zaldy Co after Pres. Bongbong Marcos announced that Zaldy Co was being held in Prague. The former lawmaker is among those government officials who were implicated in the alleged multi‑billion peso flood control mess.
Co, who once served in the House of Representatives as the representative of Ako Bicol Partylist, was named in testimonies during the flood control hearings. He was invited by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to participate in its investigation.
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure which was established through the order of Pres. Bongbong Marcos, eventually concluded its work in March. The commission handed over its findings to the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice.
Here are the “achievements” that the ICI has listed in its 125-day report to Marcos Jr.
- Nine referrals, covering 65 implicated individuals, submitted to the Ombudsman, one of which was made with the Department of Public Works and Highways
- 66 individuals referred to the Department of Justice for the issuance of Immigration Lookout Bulletin Orders (ILBOs)
- 32 hearings covering 36 witnesses, including 20 legislators and five agency heads
- 16 site inspections nationwide
- 1,173 documents processed
- 6,692 bank accounts of implicated individuals frozen or subjected to freeze orders
- P24.7 billion worth of assets seized, preserved, frozen or surrendered, according to the Anti-Money Laundering Council. This includes 229 vehicles, 394 insurance policies, 161 real properties, 16 e-wallet accounts and 10 air assets
- Eight inter-agency coordination meetings conducted and six legislative sessions attended
- Three hearings livestreamed
Not long after the President announced that Co is being held in Prague, the DOJ clarified that Co was “not technically arrested” by Czech authorities. Justice spokesperson Polo Martinez said that there are restrictions on the former Congressman’s liberty though.
“For analogy, it’s similar to a situation in the airport where the person arrives and immigration denies entry or excludes the person. Technically, not arrested but there is a deprivation of liberty to a certain degree,” Martinez said.
Following this statement, Malacañang rejected the claims that Marcos Jr. had said Co was arrested in Prague. Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro later addressed the issue again. She stressed that the apparent discrepancy stemmed from differences in terminology used by the Philippine government and Czech officials.
“Maingat po ang Pangulo sa pagbibigay ng anunsyo sa taumbayan. Kaya ‘wag ipahid sa Pangulo ang salitang ‘aresto’ dahil hindi po ‘yan ginamit,” the Palace official expressed.
However, recently, Malacañang confirmed that Zaldy Co has applied for political asylum in France and is now under the custody of the French authorities. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Atty. Claire Castro revealed that Pres. Bongbong Marcos is disappointed upon learning about it.
“Disappointed sya kasi malapit na sana mapauwi pero since may ibang bansang involved, ang bansang Czech ang mag-uutos ano gagawin,” Castro expressed.
Based on the report, the Malacañang Undersecretary stressed that the Philippine government exerted efforts to bring Zaldy Co back to the Philippines. According to her, whatever amount was spent on the matter, it is the obligation of the government.
“Nagkataon lamang po na mayroong batas na sinusunod din po ang Czech Republic dahil wala pong nalabag na batas si Zaldy Co sa Czech Republic. Ang tangi lamang pong nag-issue kung bakit siya po ay na-hold at siya po ay nailagay sa kustodiya ng Czech Republic ay dahil sa invalid documentation,” Castro said.
Amid the issues in the Philippines, there are also talks about the next elections. Malacañang recently spoke on the president bet of Marcos Jr. for the 2028 elections.
