Zaldy Co crossing into Germany when he was caught — Marcos

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April 17, 2026 | 9:28am

MANILA, Philippines — Fugitive lawmaker Zaldy Co was attempting to enter Germany when he was detained, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Friday, April 17.

The previous night, Marcos announced that Co had been detained by Czech authorities while attempting to cross their border.

Co is wanted for allegedly orchestrating a massive corruption scam involving bogus flood control projects. He had been out of the country even before the issue made headlines.

“The latest information confirms that Zaldy Co was stopped at the German border after entering from the Czech Republic. He was denied entry and returned to Czech authorities, where he remains in custody,” Marcos said.

Marcos said that the Philippines is still coordinating with the Czech Republic. The Philippines and the Czech Republic do not have an extradition treaty, so there is no mandated turnover of wanted criminals and suspects between the two nations.

Co has reportedly been in Europe for the past nine months, with recent sightings in Italy. Billions of pesos are suspected to have been siphoned off through kickback schemes involving lawmakers and Department of Public Works and Highways executives.

Several senators and House lawmakers have already been implicated by self-confessed collaborators.