Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla is set to travel to France on September 22 to meet with Interpol officials as the Philippine government pushes for the issuance of a Red Notice against former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co.
A Red Notice is an international request for law enforcement agencies to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted individual pending extradition, surrender or other legal proceedings.
Remulla described Co as the government’s “bigger fish” and said securing his arrest remains a priority. He claimed authorities have located Co in Paris, reportedly staying at a high-end condominium near a Dior store and about 250 meters from the Champs-Élysées.
“I will do everything within my power in order to convince them (Interpol) to grant the red notice and to allow us to bring him (Co) home,” Remulla said.
Before his France trip, Remulla is scheduled to meet with officials of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime on Thursday, September 17, to discuss the government’s request for a Red Notice against Co.
Remulla also acknowledged shortcomings in the handling of the request, saying he should have pushed the process more consistently.
“I should have been more persistent about it all along. I thought it will only be a matter of filing it and then it will come out and everything will happen like magic.”
After Co, Remulla identified Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa as the next priority in the government’s efforts to apprehend fugitives, followed by gambling personality Charlie “Atong” Ang and former Bureau of Corrections Director Gerard Bantag.
Remulla previously said authorities believe dela Rosa remains somewhere in Mindanao and that efforts to locate and arrest him are progressing, including negotiations with individuals allegedly providing protection to the senator.
Asked why negotiations were necessary, Remulla said the government wants to avoid a violent confrontation and prevent casualties during any attempt to arrest dela Rosa.
The Interior chief emphasized that authorities are seeking to carry out the arrest without triggering a deadly encounter that could result in fatalities.
The government’s efforts to locate the individuals are part of a broader campaign to apprehend fugitives facing various legal cases and bring them before Philippine authorities.