President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to coordinate with embassies abroad to ensure that former lawmaker Zaldy Co can no longer hide overseas, following the cancellation of his passport over corruption allegations tied to flood control anomalies.
“Maibabalita ko po sa inyo na ang passport po ni Zaldy Co ay kanselado na,” Marcos said in an almost two-minute video on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
He added: “Kaya ininstructionan ko na ang Department of Foreign Affairs, pati ang PNP, na makipag-ugnayan sa ating mga embassies sa iba’t ibang bansa para tiyakin na hindi maaaring magtago itong ating hinahabol na magtago doon sa kanilang bansa. At kung sakali man ay siya ay pupunta roon, ay i-rereport sa atin para naman maibalik natin siya dito sa Pilipinas.”
Co was suspected to be in Portugal prior to the cancellation of his passport.
The former congressman was among the 16 people charged in connection with the anomalous flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.
The government has since urged overseas Filipinos to take a photo of him if spotted and report it to authorities.
With the cancellation of Co’s passport and with Sarah Discaya surrender to the National Bureau of Investigation, pending her warrant of arrest, Marcos said the investigation on the massive flood control anomalies is moving smoothly.
The President said the public can expect that the investigation will continue, and the government will keep filing cases to ensure that “those guilty of this kind of scandal will face the law, and that the stolen money will be returned to the public.” (Betheena Unite)
