Malacañang on Friday brushed aside former Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co’s assertion that graft and malversation charges against him were driven by political “vendetta” and an “unproven conspiracy.”
“Umuwi muna siya sa Pilipinas,” Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said when asked about Co’s petition against the Office of the Ombudsman filed before the Supreme Court earlier this month.
Co, whose Sunwest Corporation secured numerous public contracts while he was in office, left the country in mid-2025 to seek medical treatment abroad.
His departure came before President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. criticized lawmakers over billions-worth of questionable flood control projects.
The former lawmaker has refused to return, claiming former House Speaker Martin Romualdez advised him to stay away while the government probed anomalous transactions.
He also accused Marcos of receiving kickbacks from projects inserted into the 2025 national budget—allegations both Marcos and Romualdez denied.
Authorities canceled Co’s Philippine passport last year, but he reportedly remains at large through a golden visa and passport from Portugal.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier said Co was hiding in Lisbon, though documents submitted to the Supreme Court indicated he was in Sweden.
The government has since expanded its manhunt to Scandinavia but has yet to confirm if Co’s exact whereabouts have been traced.