Former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co’s recent arrest, reportedly in Prague, Czech Republic, would consequently reignite the impeachment effort against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., lawmakers said Friday.
Militant legislators said that Co, as the former chairperson of the House committee on appropriations, could not have acted alone in the perversion of the national budgets from 2023 to 2025.
Marcos confirmed Co’s arrest near the German border for lacking proper documentation, but no photos or videos of the incident have surfaced.
Co had earlier alleged, in a series of videos released in November 2025, that Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez received billions in kickbacks from budget allocations tied to ghost flood control projects.
Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc said Co’s capture and swift repatriation could pave the way for a new impeachment complaint against the President anchored on the allegations Co had raised.
They said Co could serve as a witness in any proceedings arising from potential complaints.
“Co’s repatriation will make it possible for him to testify under oath on his revelations regarding the role of President Marcos and other high officials in the corruption network that enabled massive budget insertions and anomalous infrastructure allocations,” the Makabayan statement read.
“Co cannot be the only one charged if it is a system that fueled corruption,” it added.
The minority bloc asserted that all the figures involved in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal should be held to the rule of law and charged with the violations under the Constitution.
Akbayan Partylist Rep. Chel Diokno and Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima said the arrest of Co would allow investigators to breach another door into the ongoing flood control probe.
Diokno stressed that Co should face the criminal charges filed against him and the public funds he stole must be returned.
“He must face the charges and return the public funds,” he said in a social media post.
De Lima, on the other hand, said the pending investigation into the fugitive should be expedited, as it would enable the courts to indict all corrupt politicians under the rule of law.
“Let us conduct investigations into the allegations against him simultaneously. Because like an impeachment, the pursuit of truth must not be placed on hold until all corrupt officials are held accountable,” she said.
Asylum possible
If Czech authorities have detained Co, he can still seek asylum to delay his deportation.
Atty. Rodel Taton, international law expert and dean of the Graduate School of Law at San Sebastian College-Recoletos, said in an interview with Palace reporters on Friday that he sees Co seeking asylum to delay his return.
“There are a lot of questions that can be raised there. One of those is if there is persecution against Co, because he may say that he is making statements against the current administration, which can relate to how the government is handling funds and all that. He can raise a well-founded fear for his life, therefore, praying for his non-return to the Philippines,” he said.
In cases involving asylum seekers and refugee applicants under the Status Determination Procedures, Taton said the applicant may not be returned or expelled from the state where they were arrested.
“But in the case of Co, there is an arrest warrant for graft and malversation. So the government can contest that this is not a case of persecution, but a prosecution for violation of Philippine graft and malversation laws for which the Sandiganbayan has issued a warrant of arrest against him. But he may apply for asylum to delay the deportation proceedings,” he explained.
No treaty with Prague
As the Philippines has no extradition treaty with the Czech Republic, Taton said they can resort to deporting Co.
“There is deportation if the extradition route is not possible. There is no treaty for deportation rights with Prague right now. A deportation can occur when a person violates immigration laws, which are domestic to the Czech Republic. So in this case, there is illegal entry, not the possession of proper documents. Deportation is a unilateral process between the Czech Republic and is administrative in nature. The result of that is to return the person to the place or the country of origin,” Taton said.
Aside from deportation, the cooperation agreements between Manila and Prague can be utilized to bring Co back to the country.
“We are looking at diplomatic channels that the Philippines and the Czech Republic can utilize. That’s the beauty of cooperation agreements, that in times of need we can rely on them. But still, it is subject to the arrangements between the two states, and we have to remember that there may be human rights questions that Co might raise,” he said.
Co was reported to have a Portuguese passport. However, Taton pointed out that if a person possesses multiple nationalities in a third state, the third state considers that person a citizen or a national of only one state that is closest to them, which is the Philippines.
Deportation might take time
The international law expert said bringing Co back to the Philippines cannot happen with the snap of a finger, as Co has a right to due process and will be tried in the Czech Republic for an administrative, not a criminal, case.
“I think proceedings in the Czech Republic are faster compared to the Philippines. It may take months because, after the arrest, Co may be immediately subject to deportation proceedings and given 10 to 15 days to submit his response. After that, the authorities will release a decision and he can be deported,” he said.
Soon in custody?
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, however, gave a shorter timeline for Co’s return and detention at Camp Crame in Quezon City.