Efforts to widen the international search for former lawmaker Zaldy Co have intensified, with authorities confirming that an application for an Interpol red notice is already in process. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said the move forms part of the broader steps taken after the government revoked Co’s passport, leaving him without valid travel documents and subject to immigration sanctions in any jurisdiction.
NBI spokesperson Atty. Palmer Mallari explained that the request for Interpol action was submitted on November 23 through the Philippine Center for Transnational Crimes. He said the bureau is now awaiting the next phase of coordination, noting that “once approved, Interpol will notify member nations of an arrest warrant against Co.”
The former Ako Bicol party-list representative was earlier declared a fugitive from justice by the Sandiganbayan after failing to comply with proceedings related to graft and malversation cases. The government’s cancellation of his passport has added another legal consequence to his situation. Mallari confirmed that Co is now classified as an undocumented foreign national, a designation that exposes him to arrest under immigration rules wherever he is found.
“This means Co may be arrested for violating immigration laws of the country he is currently staying in,” Mallari said.
The action comes as various agencies pursue parallel investigations, including NBI operations involving locations linked to Co and ongoing court disputes involving companies associated with him.
