Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Representative Leila de Lima on Tuesday said deportation, not extradition, should be pursued by the government to bring former Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co back to the Philippines to face charges.
De Lima argued that extradition would take too long.
“But unless the President was not briefed on the long duration and tediousness of negotiating and agreeing on an extradition treaty, this tack or mindset is reflective of his administration’s laid-back attitude in investigating and prosecuting the flood control project scam perpetrators,” she said.
“Negotiating an extradition treaty with Portugal just to arrest Zaldy Co takes so much effort and too much time. No sense of urgency can be implied from such an option,” she added.
Instead, de Lima said deportation was the more reasonable option.
“Deportation at the instance of Portugal is another means. The deportation by Portugal of Co to the Philippines can be immediately negotiated diplomatically, even without the formality of entering into an extradition treaty,” she explained.
She further noted: “If this logical and uncomplicated option is not yet being explored by the DFA at this point, weeks after the cancellation of Co’s passport, then our confidence in this administration’s capacity to bring Co to justice is all the more diminished.”