Co tracked to Sweden; DFA takes over matter

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will handle the return to the Philippines of former lawmaker Zaldy Co, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Tuesday.

Remulla explained that bringing Co back to the country falls under the DFA’s diplomatic and legal mandates, not the DILG’s.

“That’s no longer my responsibility. It’s now with the DFA. They are the ones who should take the necessary steps through diplomatic channels to get him back,” he said in a radio interview.

He added that Co has not yet been reported to Interpol, explaining that such a move would depend on the formal charges and the status of the case against him.

“Not yet. We haven’t filed that. It depends on what charges will come out. So we’ll see,” Remulla said.

Co was recently tracked to Stockholm, Sweden, after his signature appeared on an apostille or certification attached to a petition filed with the Supreme Court on 15 January.

He already faces arrest warrants over alleged irregularities in a P289-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro involving his construction firm, Sunwest Corp.

Co and other Sunwest directors —along with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) — were also charged with malversation of public funds by the Office of the Ombudsman at the Sandiganbayan on 18 November 2025.

DFA: Coordination needed

Efforts to bring home Co do not rest solely with the DFA, but require coordinated action with law enforcement agencies, particularly Interpol, the DFA said Tuesday.

The clarification came after Remulla said Co’s return depended mainly on the DFA’s diplomatic channels amid criminal charges over his alleged role in a flood control scam.

DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona stressed that Co’s arrest and repatriation involve judicial and law enforcement processes, not just diplomacy.

“The view that this rests solely with the DFA does not reflect the whole-of-government approach required,” she said, adding that the agency is ready to assist within its mandate but lacks the resources to act independently.