Former Congressman Zaldy Co seeks asylum in France, accuses Marcos of corruption
A central figure in the scandal surrounding flood control infrastructure projects, he continues to accuse the president and other political leaders from abroad. Although the case faded for a while into the background, it still causes sparks between factions and within the government.
Manila (AsiaNews) – Former Philippine Congressman Elizaldy "Zaldy" Co is in France, where he reportedly applied for asylum, after fleeing the Czech Republic.
According to Philippine media, the affair highlights the serious shortcomings in the Philippine government's international judicial cooperation mechanisms.
A former member of the Ako Bicol party in the House of Representative, Zaldy Co was arrested in Prague on 16 April for violating immigration regulations. In the Philippines, he is accused of corruption and embezzlement related to public projects, particularly involving flood control.
In recent months, he has made a series of statements from abroad accusing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other political figures of benefiting from bribes related to the same infrastructure projects.
He left the Philippines with a medical permit in July 2025, beginning a period abroad that brought him to Europe, where he claims he is being persecuted.
In the absence of an international warrant and a clear bilateral legal framework, Czech authorities released him. This was done even though Philippine authorities had issued a "red notice," a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person.
Approval, however, did not arrive. Justice Secretary Frederick Vida admitted that the case highlights a "procedural gap" and announced a full review of the application, which will be handled by a dedicated task force. The goal is to show that the offences alleged against Co are also actionable in European courts.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who rejects Co's accusations against his government, expressed "disappointment" with the outcome of the operation and requested clarification from both Czech and French authorities.
According to information from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, Co is now in France, where he has applied for political asylum.
The flood-relief scandal is the most serious corruption case to emerge in the Philippines in recent years. It eventually so an impeachment motion filed against Marcos, reigniting the political battle with the Duterte clan, which includes incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte, and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Hundreds of publicly funded projects, worth hundreds of billions of pesos, saw their costs inflated, duplicated, or even never built. Instead of spending the resources on seasonal flood relief, they were diverted to politicians and contractors in the form of bribes, sparking mass protests.
Although the situation appears to have calmed down for the moment, various political factions continue to accuse each other.
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21/09/2022
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