Youth group Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) held a protest outside the headquarters of the Sunwest Group on Saturday, demanding that former AKO BICOL Representative and Sunwest owner Zaldy Co return to the Philippines and face investigations over his alleged involvement in major corruption scandals.

The group posted a mock “seizure order from Filipino taxpayers” on the gates of Sunwest’s corporate office in Ortigas, symbolically claiming the company’s assets as proceeds of corruption. Co, who has been reportedly staying abroad for several months, is being linked to ghost flood control projects and the overpriced DepEd laptops scandal in 2021.

Patricia Racca, SPARK’s secretary general, emphasized that Co’s return and full cooperation are crucial to uncovering what she described as “systematic graft” involving both public officials and private contractors.

“In demanding that Co come back to the Philippines to be investigated on charges of corruption, we insist that he also disclose the true mastermind behind widespread corruption in the government,” she said.

Racca explained that accountability investigations are yet to fully reveal the extent of graft in government outside of flood control.

“A thorough investigation into Co’s dealings will reveal how corruption has managed to pervade in government and its collusion with private contractors and who enables this systematic theft to begin with,” she said.

According to SPARK, current anti-corruption efforts by the administration remain toothless, with no major arrests or recoveries made for more than two months since reports on irregularities in flood control projects surfaced.

“We know full well that assets and properties taken from corruption are held abroad, or by dummies as declared owners of accounts and companies like Sunwest,” Racca added. “This is why the government should begin lifting bank secrecy laws for those implicated.”

SPARK warned that without bold legislative reforms and genuine political will, ongoing investigations would only serve as public spectacles with no real consequences for the powerful.

“Without any meaningful changes, Marcos' probe will continue going on as a farce for the elite to keep ruling in the old way,” said Racca. “Meanwhile, the task has been left to the people themselves to exact justice where the government cannot.”

The protest is part of a broader push by youth and civil society groups demanding greater transparency and accountability amid a wave of high-profile corruption controversies rocking the government.