Philippines working with Portugal to arrest Zaldy Co, says Marcos

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MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said the Philippines is coordinating with Portuguese authorities to locate and arrest former lawmaker Zaldy Co, who has been on the run for more than three months since a warrant was issued.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, March 10 (New York time), Marcos explained that the Philippine government cannot simply bring Co home, as its police have no jurisdiction in Portugal to enforce an arrest.

"You do not send your own police to go and pick him up kasi wala namang jurisdiction ang police doon sa kung saan ‘yung ibang bansa (because the police has no jurisdiction in another country). So, they cannot arrest anyone. So, it will have to be with the assistance of the hosting country," he said.

The president added that coordination with the Portuguese government is necessary, confirming that Co is currently in Portugal.

"You cannot bring him home because hindi (no) – that's just not the way it works. We have to ask the assistance of the country where he is in, which is presently Portugal," Marcos said.

Co faces graft and malversation charges over an allegedly anomalous P289.5-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro, due to his ties to the project's contractor, Sunwest Inc.

Marcos also confirmed that the Philippines has submitted a request for a red notice to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), which would direct law enforcement in member states to assist in locating and temporarily detaining the person pending extradition or other legal proceedings.

"Naglagay na tayo ng red notice sa Interpol at patuloy ang ating ugnayan sa mga Portuguese authorities na pauwiin na siya," he said. (We have already filed a red notice with Interpol and continue to coordinate with the Portuguese authorities to have him brought home.)

The National Bureau of Investigation filed the documents requesting an Interpol red notice on February 11. The agency's International Operations Division is also coordinating with foreign law enforcement authorities to locate Co.

While the arrest warrant against Co was only issued in November 2025, the former lawmaker has been abroad since July 2025, right when Marcos ordered an investigation into the anomalous flood control projects.

The Sandiganbayan has since declared Co a fugitive from justice and granted a writ of preliminary attachment on his 16 properties to secure over P215 million in alleged civil liabilities, meaning the court will hold the properties while proceedings continue.

Co is also awaiting a Supreme Court decision on his petition for certiorari seeking to nullify the Office of the Ombudsman's resolution that found probable cause to file charges against him.