Malacanang Palace on Tuesday revealed that fugitive and former AKO Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co is now in France seeking political asylum, as confirmed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice after receiving highly reliable information.
“He has been requested to be transferred to and is now under the jurisdiction of French authorities. All missions in Europe have been instructed to obtain official confirmation. Nananatiling matatag ang posisyon ng pamahalaan,” said Palace press officer, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro, in a media briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday.
“We will work with every government through every legal channel available under international laws to bring Zaldy Co home, and face the graft and malversation cases filed against him. Gagawin natin ang lahat na naaayon sa batas at sa diplomatikong proseso,” she added.
Castro noted that the report was received from Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teresa Lazaro on Tuesday morning based on their high-level engagements with officials of the Czech Republic and other representatives of the European Union.
“Malinaw na ang mga hakbang na ginagawa ay nakaangkla sa paggalang sa umiiral na mga batas ng EU at ng kani-kanilang member-states,” she said.
She said Co is seeking political asylum because of the fear of political persecution if he comes back to the Philippines, despite the malversation and corruption charges filed by the Sandiganbayan against him regarding the questionable project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
“Hindi po siya nakakulong. Kailangan lang po siyang dalhin doon dahil mayroon siyang pending petition for asylum,” she added.
“Pero alam natin na bago pa man nangyari ang lahat, siya ay hinahabol na at pinababalik dito para sagutin ang mga alegasyon tungkol sa malversation, pagnakaw diumano ng pondo ng bayan,” she said.
Castro said Co’s movement is not being restrained and he can roam around the Schengen area, a regional bloc in Europe and a free-travel zone encompassing 29 European countries that have abolished internal border checks.
PBBM disappointed, but will not apologize
With some personalities hitting the Marcos administration for alleged lapses, prompting Co to slip from the law, Castro said the President is disappointed.
“Nakausap po mismo natin ang Pangulo ngayong araw, at sinabi niya na disappointed siya dahil malapit na sana natin napauwi si Zaldy Co. But since mayroon nga pong ibang bansang involved at ang lumalabas lamang po na kaniyang na-violate ay ang paggamit ng invalid documentation, so ang bansang Czech Republic po ang siyang mag-uutos kung ano ang gagawin kay Zaldy Co,” she said.
However, she said the Chief Executive will not apologize, even if some lawmakers treat the incident as the fault of the government.
Akbayan Partylist Representative Chel Diokno said the slipping of Co is a big blunder, noting “the government must explain what happened.” On the other hand, Senate Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said the government has only itself to blame for the “lost opportunity” to take Co into custody and must now work double-time to bring him back, adding that Philippine authorities now face an embarrassing situation after failing to act promptly despite receiving timely information of Co’s apprehension by authorities in the Czech Republic.
“Ibalik ko ang tanong: Saan po siya dapat mag-apologize? Lahat naman po tayo ay umasa. Lahat naman po ng dapat gawin ay ginawa ng Pangulo at ng administrasyon. Ang kaniyang ini-report naman po ay tama, so wala po tayong nakikita na maaaring sabihing pagkakamali ng Pangulo dahil hindi po ito tinulungan ng Pangulo,” Castro stressed.
She said the President right now is not blaming anyone because the involved agencies and officials have done their jobs, although Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Revilla already asked for an apology on Tuesday.
“Iyong sinabi po ni Secretary Jonvic na maaaring maauwi in two to three weeks galing lamang po ito kay Secretary Jonvic Remulla, hindi po ito pronouncement ng Pangulo at hindi rin po ito pronouncement ng Palasyo. At kung siya po ay nag-apologize for that, for doing or for saying that matatanggap naman po ng lahat dahil nakita po natin ang sitwasyon pero muli hindi po galing kay Pangulo ang opinyon na ibinigay ni Secretary Jonvic Remulla,” Castro reiterated.
Summoning Czech, French envoys
Castro said the President will summon the Ambassador of France and the Czech Republic’s chargé d'affaires to know whether Philippine authorities committed lapses.
“Iyan po ang pag-uusapan, kung mayroon nga ba tayong pagkukulang o mayroon bang hindi nagawa para po mas maliwanagan tayo ano pa ang dapat gawin at ano pa ang dapat maitulong ng ibang bansa lalung-lalo naman po na tayo naman po ay mayroong tinatawag na United Nations Convention Against Corruption. So, ang kaso po na kinakaharap ni Zaldy Co ay patungkol sa malversation, so aalamin lamang po ng Pangulo, ano ba ang dapat pang nagawa dahil sa ating pagkakaalam, sa pagkakaalam ng Pangulo, lahat po ng dapat gawin ay ginawa na,” according to Castro.
COA to check the costing, Palace not to divulge
Meanwhile, some personalities, including critics of the Marcos administration, namely former Presidential spokesperson, Atty. Harry Roque and Raul Lambino, have been questioning how much the government wasted public funds on SOJ Vida and his team in going to Prague, calling it a junket.
But the Palace spokesperson maintained that Secretary Vida’s visit is not for pleasure but an official function to know the whereabouts of Co.
“Hindi naman po nagpunta doon ang ating mga opisyal para magbakasyon. Pinunta po nila doon ay trabaho para po sa kondisyon at kalagayan ni Zaldy Co. Kung anuman po ang nagastos dito, ito po ay trabaho ng gobyerno – maaari po itong makita sa COA (Commission on Audit),” she said.
“Alam po at agad pong nagtrabaho at pinapunta ang ating mga high-level officials doon. Nagkataon lamang po na mayroong batas na sinusunod din po ang Czech Republic dahil wala pong nalabag na batas si Zaldy Co sa Czech Republic. Ang tangi lamang pong nag-issue kung bakit siya po ay na-hold at siya po ay nailagay sa kustodiya ng Czech Republic ay dahil sa invalid documentation,” she added.
Castro said the President is also unhappy with the fact that most Filipino fugitives are now going to Europe to seek political asylum.
“Iyan naman po ang nasa isip natin, iyan din po ang nasa isip ng Pangulo, dahil iyong iba nating mga pugante ay iyan ang ginagawang last resort para ma-delay ang pagpapauwi sa kanila sa Pilipinas, so hindi magandang pangitain,” Castro said.