13 hours ago
5
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Helen Flores - The Philippine Star
February 4, 2026 | 12:00am
Former Rep. Elizaldy Co admits inserting P100 billion in the 2025 budget in a video released on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025 while abroad.
Zaldy Co / Philstar.com's screenshot
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang remains confident that high-profile fugitives, including former Ako Bicol party-list congressman Elizaldy Co, will be brought back to the country to face charges over anomalous flood control projects.
At a press briefing yesterday, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the government continues to coordinate with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to locate Co.
“On the part of our government, we are doing everything to bring the fugitives home. So, we are cooperating and coordinating with the Interpol. We are just awaiting the response from the Interpol,” Castro said.
“We have also been a good partner with Interpol and we know that Interpol is also carrying out their mandate. So, we can hope that the fugitives here will be brought home,” she added.
The National Bureau of Investigation on Monday said there is still no Interpol red notice issued against the former lawmaker.
Discaya tax cases junked
The Department of Justice has dismissed three excise tax complaints filed against contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya over their luxury cars.
DOJ spokesman Polo Martinez explained that the Discayas cannot be held liable over unpaid excise taxes of their imported luxury vehicles since they were only consumers or buyers, not the actual importer.
“The panel saw that Sarah and Curlee were not importers so they were not liable for non-payment of excise tax. The one liable to pay excise tax would be the importer – from whom they bought the cars,” he said.
Martinez said the complaints filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue involve six vehicles registered under the names of the couple and their company, St. Gerrard Construction: two Range Rovers, a Cadillac Escalade, two Mercedes Benzes and a Dodge Ram Rebel.
This is part of the five tax cases against the Discaya couple that underwent preliminary investigation at the DOJ. Two of the cases will be filed at the Court of Tax Appeals. — Daphne Galvez, Elizabeth Marcelo
