Gov’t stumped by reports Co has Portuguese passport

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Thursday the government has begun coordinating with authorities in Portugal to find and bring back to the Philippines former representative Zaldy Co who is facing an arrest warrant for alleged corruption involving flood control project funds.

Remulla said the cancellation of Co’s Philippine passport will restrict his travel, but reports that he may hold a Portuguese passport could complicate the effort to bring him back home.

“Our concern is that if the reports are true that he has a Portuguese passport, the situation will become more complicated,” said Remulla in Filipino.

“We are already coordinating with Portugal, except international law takes a long time. It is a lengthy process,” he added.

Arrest warrants have been issued against Co, several Department of Public Works and Highways officials, and directors of Sunwest Corp., which Co owns, over alleged irregularities in flood control contracts.

On 18 November, the Office of the Ombudsman filed corruption and malversation charges before the Sandiganbayan against Co and the other respondents in connection with an allegedly anomalous P289-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.