DOJ chief leaves for Prague to get Zaldy Co

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April 23, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said he will leave for the Czech Republic today to facilitate the repatriation of former lawmaker and now fugitive Zaldy Co.

Vida said he will be accompanied by Chief State Counsel Dennis Chan.

Asked if he had set meetings with his counterpart from the Czech government, Vida said arrangements were still being made and “the details will come along.”

Vida earlier said the Department of Justice is considering deportation, extradition or invoking the United Nations Convention Against Corruption – to which both the Philippines and the Czech Republic are signatories – as possible means to facilitate his return.

Co is facing an arrest warrant for alleged malversation of public funds and graft in connection with a P289.5-million anomalous road dike project in Oriental Mindoro.

Vida said the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime was informed by Czech authorities about the arrest of Co and another Filipino male, whose identity has yet to be confirmed by the Philippine government.

President Marcos announced last week that Co was arrested in the Czech Republic for immigration violations.

Meanwhile, the government has assured Catanduanes of continued electricity supply despite ongoing operational challenges faced by the power generation company tied to Co.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the government is facilitating the fuel delivery to sustain the operations of Sunwest Water and Electric Co. (Suweco), a company under the Sunwest Group founded by Co.

“This is critical, as diesel generation remains the primary and stabilizing source of electricity supply in Catanduanes at this time,” Garin said in a statement yesterday.

Ongoing tensions in the Middle East have intensified market uncertainty, driving domestic pump prices to record highs and placing significant strain on companies heavily reliant on diesel for power generation.

“These are real and urgent concerns, and we are addressing them with the full coordination of the government,” Garin said.

While Suweco already secured an initial fuel supply equivalent to around one week of operation, Garin said the government has stepped in to ensure that fuel logistics and interagency coordination are aligned.

At the same time, subsidy support under the Universal Charge for Missionary Electrification (UCME) is already being rolled out to help sustain power plant operations.

UCME is a non-bypassable fee imposed on all on-grid consumers to electrify off-grid and remote areas.

Funds for Suweco are now ready for pickup, while the next UCME payment releases are also being finalized, the energy chief said, citing the latest update from National Power Corp.- Brix Lelis