Former Senate President Franklin Drilon said that fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co does not meet the qualifications to become a state witness, citing the legal requirement that a witness must be the “least guilty” among those involved in a crime.
In an interview on DZRH News’ Dos Por Dos on Tuesday, Drilon explained that an individual cannot qualify as a state witness if evidence shows they played a major role in the alleged offense. “Hindi qualified si Zaldy Co, dahilan po ang kwalifikasyon na maging state witness ay ikaw ay “least guilty” or not the most guilty. Ibig sabihin, ikaw ang pinakamaliit ang kasalanan mo sa krimen na nangyayari. Dito naman hindi pupwedeng siya ang least guilty, pwede pa siguro siya ang most guilty,” Drilon said. Drilon added that Co—who previously served as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations—is being linked to issues involving budget insertions and the alleged misuse of funds tied to a controversial flood control scam. “Siya po si Zaldy Co bilang chairman ng Appropriations Committee dahilan po sa kanyang mga entry sa budget kagaya ng mga unprogrammed appropriation na ginamit para gawin itong korupsyon. Kung basehan sa news report, siya po ang namumuno nito. Hindi pwede na siya po ay maging state witness,” he added. Drilon also clarified that the decision on whether Co may be granted political asylum lies with the courts of the Czech Republic. Authorities there will determine whether the cancellation of his Philippine passport was politically motivated. He further explained that Co’s possible return to the Philippines depends on Czech law. According to Drilon, Co was not arrested due to cases filed in the Philippines but was instead detained as an undocumented alien after his passport was canceled. “Hindi po siya hinuli dahilan sa mga kaso sa ating bansa. Hinuli po siya, dinetain siya dahil po undocumented alien si Zaldy Co. At undocumented alien siya dahilan kilang sila ng bansang Pilipinas ang kanyang passport. Kaya wala po siyang dokumento pagpasok sa Germany, kaya ibinalik siya sa Czech Republic kung saan siya nanggaling. Kaya siya po ay idedeport,” Drilon said. “Gaano katagal yung deportation hindi ko po alam dahil depende po yan sa batas ng Czech Republic,” the former senator added. On the matter of international legal procedures, Drilon said that even with an extradition treaty and a red notice from Interpol, an individual still has the right to challenge deportation or the notice in court. “Dahil po mayroong extradition treaty at mayroong red notice ng Interpol, may karapatan pa rin ang isang tao na pumunta sa husgado at i-question yung deportation or yung red alert na sinasabi,” he explained. Drilon emphasized that political asylum is granted only if a person can prove persecution based on political beliefs. Without sufficient evidence of political persecution, asylum will not be granted under general international standards. “Depende po yan sa batas ng bansa. Kung saan siya na detained...Unang-una ang unang tinitingnan dyan ay siya ba ay entitled sa political asylum. Dahil yung political asylum, binibigay lamang doon sa nagpapatunay na sila po'y ginigipit dahil sa kanilang paniniwalang political. Kung hindi naman dahilan doon, hindi naman sa paniniwalang political, political kung hindi mo patunayan na yung kanyang pag-arrest ay hindi sa kanyang paniniwalang political, hindi po papayagan mag-asylum. ‘Yan po ang general rule” he said. He added that Czech courts will ultimately determine whether Co’s situation meets the criteria for asylum, including whether the cancellation of his passport was politically motivated. Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed that Co had been arrested and remains in the custody of Czech authorities.
