Czech authorities are holding fugitive former lawmaker Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co in Prague, with Philippine officials expecting his deportation to be completed within one to three weeks following his arrest abroad after nine months as a fugitive.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla disclosed Friday that the Department of Foreign Affairs is leading coordination with Czech officials on the mechanics of Co’s transfer back to Manila.
“Maybe in as little as one week, but it could take as long as three weeks. That depends on the DFA—they’re really the lead on this, not me; I’m just coordinating,” Remulla said in a DZMM radio interview.
The process carries at least one procedural wrinkle. Remulla said Co was found without any travel documents when Czech authorities apprehended him — no Portuguese passport, no identification.
“Because his deportation order is based on a canceled passport—he didn’t have his Portuguese passport with him. He wasn’t carrying anything… it’s like he became complacent. So when he was arrested there, it was noted that he had no travel documents. The DFA informed them that he was a wanted person,” Remulla explained.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed the arrest Thursday evening through his official Facebook page, saying Co had crossed into the Czech Republic without proper documentation before being taken into custody in Prague.
“We will keep the public informed as developments unfold,” Marcos wrote, adding that Manila was working closely with the Czech government to ensure legal procedures were observed and to secure Co’s return “at the soonest possible time.”
Co, who once chaired the House Committee on Appropriations, departed the Philippines in July 2025 after being implicated in a multibillion-peso flood control scandal, initially citing medical treatment in the United States as his reason for travel. He was subsequently declared a fugitive after ignoring a Sandiganbayan arrest warrant — one of 18 issued in November 2025 — stemming from alleged irregularities in a P289.4-million road dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. Investigators say the project was grossly substandard and that false certifications were used to cover up deficiencies and authorize contractor payments.
Once returned, Co will undergo a physical examination at Camp Crame before being detained at the Sandiganbayan, where he will be arraigned and face a determination on whether his graft and malversation charges are bailable.
