Former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co has been arrested by Czech authorities following an immigration violation, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag clarified that the arrest was not triggered by an Interpol red notice.
“The former lawmaker was instead arrested for an immigration violation,” Matibag stated.
President Marcos confirmed that Co was detained after crossing into the Czech Republic without proper documentation. He was stopped at the German border after traveling from Prague and is now in the custody of Czech authorities.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Co is currently held at an immigration detention facility, estimating that he could be returned to the Philippines “within a week or within a month.”
To secure his return, the Philippine government is pursuing two strategies:
- Coordination with Prague authorities for formal deportation
- Issuance of an Interpol red notice
Matibag noted that the NBI is prepared to act once an official order is issued.
President Marcos added that the government remains 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.”
Co previously served as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations. He is facing graft and malversation charges linked to a ₱289 million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
The project was allegedly built by Sunwest Corporation, a firm owned by members of Co’s immediate family, and has been flagged for being substandard.