High-level team set for Czechia for Zaldy Co's return

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April 20, 2026 | 1:47pm

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday assured the public that fugitive ex-lawmaker Zaldy Co will answer to the Filipino people, with the government set to send a "high-level coordination team" to the Czech Republic to oversee the process.

Co, one of the alleged masterminds of a multibillion-peso flood control kickback scheme, has been out of the country since 2025, well before the corruption issue made headlines.

He was recently detained by Czech officials while trying to cross the border into Germany.

"We will bring Zaldy Co home and we will do so in accordance with the law. He will answer to the Filipino people," Marcos said in a video statement on April 20.

Co remains in the custody of Czech authorities.

Marcos said he has ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice to coordinate with Czech officials for Co's turnover.

"Magpapadala rin ng high-level coordination team upang tutukan ito," Marcos said. (A high-level coordination team will be sent to oversee this.)

The president said the Philippines will follow all legal steps to gain custody of Co, and that the process may take time.

Co was caught trying to cross the border without proper documentation, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said in a previous interview.

The former lawmaker had become complacent when was eventually caught, Remulla added.

Co had initially left the Philippines to seek treatment for an illness in the United States but has not returned since.

After the flood control issue broke, Co was reported to have been in several countries, primarily in Europe.