Co, 17 others get Monday ultimatum

After a series of revelations implicating President Ferdinand Marcos in alleged corrupt practices in government, the world of former Ako-Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co has dramatically narrowed.

Co and 17 others accused in the “Floodgate” scandal have been given until Monday to surrender; failure to do so will trigger a global manhunt.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla issued the ultimatum, after graft charges were filed against the former House member and his co-conspirators in connection with the anomalous flood control projects.

Co and company are the subjects of several warrants of arrest issued by the Sandiganbayan on Friday.

NBI deploys agents

A team of agents from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was dispatched to join other law enforcement bodies in serving the arrest warrants.

The Sandiganbayan issued warrants of arrest against Co and 17 other individuals from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Sunwest Corp., a construction firm Co founded.

NBI Office in Charge Angelito DLP Magno said, “Those who steal from the public will be made to face the public. This is our mandate, and we intend to fulfill it.”

Co is out of the country, with his camp saying that he fears for his life.

His lawyer, Ruy Rondain, said he won’t advise his client to come home due to the threats to his life.

The government though has urged him to come home and face the music.

“We are giving you (Co and the other accused) until Monday to surrender to the nearest government agency and present yourselves so we can bring you forward. Otherwise, we will be the ones to look for you,” Remulla said on radio.

Tracker teams ready

Although the DILG is still waiting for copies of the warrants, Remulla said that “because if they go into hiding, then we will consider them fugitives from justice. If they show any aggressive or evasive maneuvers, we might have a problem. As for me, I have a heavy hand when it comes to things like that.”

“I will use the full weight of the law to get them,” he added.

Remulla said they are working on tracking Co down.

He was last reported in Japan. But he was said to have flown to China and returned to Europe last Thursday.

Remulla said it would be hard to bring Co back should he attempt to fly into Russia, China, Malaysia, or Portugal.

Co reportedly has a Golden Visa in Portugal, which causes a bigger issue as this entitles him to travel freely within the European Schengen zone and gives him the right to live in the country.

“We don’t have extradition treaties with those countries. However, Portugal’s rules state that if the crime was committed before the acquisition of the [golden] visa, they are still liable under the law,” Remulla said.

The DILG secretary said that it would be more helpful to cancel Co’s passports so that Interpol can easily catch him.

Remulla said Co might still enter the Philippines through the backdoor which prompted the DILG to create tracker teams to check his known addresses and businesses.