ASEANEWS HEADLINE-COURTS & CRIME | MANILA, Philippines: Zaldy Co’s passport canceled – Marcos
Former Rep. Elizaldy Co admits inserting P100 billion in the 2025 budget in a video released on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025 while abroad.
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WATCH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RZ02Wegi9o
Marcos: Zaldy Co’s passport canceled | ANC
Headstart: The Philippine government officially cancelled the passport of resigned Congressman Zaldy Co. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed the cancellation, which had been disputed by Co’s lawyer.
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MANILA, Philippines — The passport of fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co has been canceled, President Marcos announced yesterday, as he ordered agencies to coordinate with embassies to prevent him from further eluding authorities.
Co, who resigned as representative of the Ako Bicol party-list, is facing an arrest warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan in connection with a questionable flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said the cancellation of the passport, which took effect at 5 p.m. yesterday, was in accordance with the directive from the Sandiganbayan and in compliance with Marcos’ order.
Also ordered arrested were at least 15 other people from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and construction firm Sunwest Corp., for graft and malversation of public funds.
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“I am reporting to you that the passport of Zaldy Co has been canceled,” the President said in a video statement.
“I have instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs and the PNP (Philippine National Police) to coordinate with our embassies to ensure that the one we are running after will not be able to hide in their country. In case he goes there, they should report to us so we can bring him back to the Philippines,” he added.
At a recent press briefing, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Co is believed to be in Portugal, which has no extradition treaty with the Philippines. He had urged Filipinos overseas to take photos of Co and post them on social media in case they see him so authorities would have an idea of his whereabouts.
Co reportedly left the Philippines for a medical checkup on July 19, a few days before Marcos ordered a probe on substandard and non-existent flood control projects during his fourth State of the Nation Address.
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The resigned lawmaker has released several videos accusing Marcos and other officials of involvement in questionable budget insertions, but Malacañang downplayed the allegations as hearsay.
In a recent interview, Presidential Communications Secretary Dave Gomez said the “script” of Co was “ridiculous,” describing his move as an act of desperation.
In the same video statement, Marcos said contractor Sarah Discaya had surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation.
Discaya and several DPWH officials in Davao Occidental have been charged with malversation and falsification of public documents in relation to a non-existent project worth P96.5 million.
“We can see that the process is moving well and the persons believed to be involved in these kinds of syndicates will face justice,” Marcos said.
“You can expect the investigation to continue. The filing of cases will continue to ensure that those who are guilty in this kinds of scandals will face the law and the money stolen from the people will be returned,” he added.
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‘Long wait over’
Rep. Toby Tiangco, for his part, commended Marcos for a job well done. “President Marcos’ announcement that Zaldy Co’s passport is a welcome development. Finally, the long wait has finally been over,” the Navotas lawmaker said.
“We have been asking for this for so long primarily because our request stands on solid ground. If there was a ‘passport to freedom’ before, this seemed to be only a one-way ticket to accountability. The Philippine embassy in various countries needs to do what it can to find Zaldy and bring him home,” Tiangco said.
“We will continue to be monitoring if only to ensure that Zaldy Co is brought before the bar of justice. We also support all the steps aimed at making those who have abused our trust and squandered our money penalized under our laws,” he added.
Meanwhile, former senator Ramon Revilla Jr. has refuted allegations of his involvement in a supposed ghost flood control project in Bulacan province as he filed his counter-affidavit before the Department of Justice.
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Revilla, who was recently included as an additional respondent in one of the cases undergoing preliminary investigation, personally went to the DOJ to submit his counter-affidavit for a complaint of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Revilla’s counsel, lawyer Francesca Lourdes Señga, said the former senator also submitted evidence to prove allegations against him are “mere lies.”
“Revilla is hopeful the DOJ will be fair and will only look at evidence so that this case will not have to reach the court,” Señga told reporters in Filipino.
Revilla was named as an additional respondent in one of the five cases involving SYMS Construction Trading and flood control projects in Bulacan. Co is one of the respondents.
Both have been instructed to submit their counter-affidavits within a five-day period following the submission of new evidence by the NBI. – Daphne Galvez, Delon Porcalla, Pia Lee Brago
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