DFA says repatriation of Zaldy Co not its sole mandate

Efforts to bring home fugitive former lawmaker Elizaldy Co, who has been hiding abroad despite a warrant, do not solely rest with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), as it requires active coordination with several law enforcement agencies, particularly Interpol, the agency’s spokesperson said Tuesday.

DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona issued the remark after Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla put pressure on the DFA to facilitate Co’s return to the Philippines amid criminal charges brought against him for his alleged role in the flood control scam.

“While the DFA values the DILG's collaboration, the DFA clarifies that Mr. Co's arrest and repatriation involve coordinated law enforcement and judicial processes, particularly Interpol coordination,” the DFA official averred.

“Secretary Remulla's view that the matter rests solely ‘up to the DFA’ does not fully capture this whole-of-government approach, which requires joint action across concerned government agencies,” she added.

Remulla argued that bringing Co back to the country highly depends on diplomatic channels and legal processes mandated to the DFA, not the DILG’s. He added that Co has not yet been reported to Interpol, pending formal charges and the status of the case against him.

The DFA countered that while the agency is mandated to abide by the rule of law and ensure the return of Filipinos hiding abroad who are being accused of wrongdoing, they lack the resources to carry it out independently.

“The DFA stands ready to provide diplomatic assistance within its mandate and in line with established protocols,” it said.

Meanwhile, the DFA sought the public’s support in tracking down Co, saying any leads to his whereabouts are welcome.

Co was reportedly last traced in Stockholm, Sweden, after his petition for certiorari submitted before the Supreme Court on 15 January indicated his whereabouts.

The document, notarized in Sweden, assailed a resolution by the Ombudsman, indicting Co for graft and malversation involving a P289.5-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

Investigation by Ombudsman prosecutors revealed that the project was “grossly substandard” and was awarded to Sunwest Inc., an Albay-based construction firm reportedly owned by the former lawmaker.

Co has long claimed that he divested from Sunwest when he entered Congress in 2019, but government records state otherwise.

Sunwest was also among the top 15 government contractors that allegedly cornered P100 billion worth of flood control contracts from June 2022 to May 2025.