Zaldy and Co.

Zaldy and Co. | Daily Tribune

It’s about time the government goes out of its way to take custody of Zaldy Co so he can respond to all the allegations hurled against him. That it makes excuses to do so is plain BS, considering that if it wants to, it could — or even can.

To begin with, international relations are fluid and not as restrictive as domestic engagements, where the rule of law supposedly reigns supreme. Countries, in the exercise of sovereignty, can always find ways to make things happen. Cooperative relations sometimes mean “bending” the law if it promotes mutual interests.

In the case of Congressman Teves, he was deported from Timor-Leste two months after his extradition was denied by the Court of Appeals there. Ordinarily, he should not have been arrested. But because our government desperately wanted to get him, he was apprehended by making it appear he was a threat to national security and interests. Was that the usual procedure? Obviously not. But concessions were made to circumvent the process so he could be forced to come home.

Or what about the arrest of former President Duterte so he could be handed over to the ICC? Clearly, it also didn’t go through the usual process. But somehow, it came across as just another day at the office. Why? Because the government was determined to surrender him at all costs.

If it never wanted to, the ICC honestly could not do anything about it. As a case in point, the tribunal has been running after Al-Bashir, Sudan’s former president, for several years but has failed to do so because the fugitive has not only gone into hiding but the countries he has gone to have refused to cooperate with it. Some of these countries, incidentally, are even parties to the Rome Statute.

So it really doesn’t make sense if the government continues to justify its seeming failure to get back Zaldy. If it really wants to, it can always find a way to do that — which, by the way, it really should. The people want to see some heads roll. They would not be satisfied if only the contractors and some DPWH officials went to jail. They want to get to the bottom of this mess and hold everyone criminally liable. This is the only way they would be appeased and pacified.

Hence, by putting his money where his mouth is, the President can genuinely show he means business and that he will truly resolve this issue. He cannot afford to be selective — or worse, save his friends simply because they are his political allies.

If he gets complacent, the public will lose its trust and may even suspect that he is not only in cahoots but could be the mastermind.