Malacañang seemed unfazed by the arrest of former AKO Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, despite his video testimonies linking President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to alleged ghost or anomalous flood control projects under the 2025 national budget.
“Ang dapat na tanong diyan ay kung handa ba si Zaldy Co na magsabi ng katotohanan. Kung handa ba siya na sabihin kung sino – kung ha? Hindi natin sinasabing siya ay guilty – kung sino ba iyong kaniyang mga nakasama,” Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said during a briefing in Iloilo City on Friday.
In a series of video statements, Co alleged that Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez were behind a “three-tier corruption machine” involving P100 billion in flood control project insertions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
“Ang Pangulo, uulitin po natin, ang siyang nagsimulang magpaimbestiga ng maanomalyang flood control projects. Siya ang naunang magpaimbestiga ng diumanong korupsiyon. Ang Pangulo ay handang makinig sa lahat ng maaaring sabihin ng mga taong involved at dapat na managot sa batas,” Castro maintained.
Castro said the President welcomed Co’s arrest.
“Of course, masaya ang Pangulo bilang siya po ang nanguna sa pagpapaimbestiga ng mga anomalya sa flood control projects. Although, wala pa pong inaakusahan ang Pangulo, walang inaakusahan ang gobyerno kung sino ang guilty or not guilty. Pero kung kayo ay nababanggit na maaaring may kinalaman, nararapat lamang na imbestigahan,” she said.
“So, ngayon po na may kaso dahil ang pagkakaiba naman po kay Zaldy Co, mayroon na po siyang kaso at ang kaniyang passport po ay cancelled – so, lumalabas na siya ay fugitive. So, ang isang fugitive ay dapat lamang pong mahuli ats a pangunguna ng Pangulo na nalaman niya na isang fugitive ay maaari nang maibalik sa Pilipinas ay maganda pong balita iyan,” Castro added.
In a Facebook post, Marcos said the government is coordinating with Czech authorities to secure Co’s return after he was denied entry at the German border and returned to Czech custody.
“Our coordination with Czech authorities continues. The latest information confirms that Zaldy Co was stopped at the German border after entering from the Czech Republic. He was denied entry and returned to Czech authorities, where he remains in custody,” the President said.
In November 2025, the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division issued a warrant of arrest against Co for graft and malversation over an allegedly anomalous road dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
The anti-graft court later declared Co a fugitive from justice.