A senior senator has squarely placed responsibility on Philippine authorities for the botched chance to bring fugitive former congressman Zaldy Co back to the country, after Czech officials freed him due to the absence of an Interpol red notice and the non-bailable nature of his malversation case.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, speaking Tuesday, said the government’s failure to act quickly after being notified of Co’s apprehension in the Czech Republic left it with no one else to fault.
“Failing to act with dispatch after having been timely informed of (ex-congressman) Zaldy Co’s apprehension by the Czech authorities now puts the government in an embarrassing situation,” Lacson said.
“Simply put, it was a lost opportunity and our government has nobody to blame except itself,” he added.
Co faces a non-bailable malversation case tied to alleged corruption in flood control projects. Lacson had sought his appearance before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, where he was expected to testify on claims that administration officials received kickbacks from flood control funds.
Among those Lacson had wanted Co to confront were former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez; former Marine-turned-whistleblower Orly Guteza and other soldiers who allegedly delivered kickbacks in luggage; and former public works undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, now a state witness who has identified Co as a central figure in the corruption scheme.
Lacson challenged the government’s high-level coordination team dispatched to the Czech Republic to find a way to undo the damage and secure Co’s return to face the charges against him.
