The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Thursday assured the public that the government will confiscate the air assets of former Congressman Zaldy Co, even if they have already left the country.

In an ambush interview with reporters at the ICI in Taguig City, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the government remains 'determined to reclaim the assets wherever they may be located.'

“Kahit naman nasaan siya ang importante hindi mabebenta at kapag ‘yan kukumpiskahin na ng gobyerno kahit saan namang parte ng mundo makukumpiska naman ‘yan. Importante doon hindi mabebenta," Dizon said.

According to Dizon, the two AgustaWestland helicopters and one Gulfstream aircraft owned by Co have reportedly not yet been frozen by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) when they were flown to Malaysia and Singapore.

He added that three of Co’s at least ten air assets attempted to apply for deregistration, but authorities were able to stop the process.

Meanwhile, Dizon emphasized that filing a civil forfeiture case is easier and faster than pursuing a criminal case against those involved in anomalies related to flood control projects.

Citing an explanation from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Dizon said that in a forfeiture case, the government only needs to prove that an individual’s declared income does not match the value of their assets.

"Ang pagkakaintindi ko doon sa explanation ni Secretary Justice Eric Vida at SolGen [Darlene Marie] Berberabe, ito is mas madali kaysa sa isang criminal mas mabilis kasi. Ang kailangan mo lang i-prove na kinikita mo ay mas maliit kaysa doon sa pera o mga assets na hawak mo," Dizon explained.

He also said that inconsistencies can easily be detected through the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of public officials, where a mismatch between income and declared properties may indicate illegal wealth.

Dizon emphasized that recovering public funds from seized properties — including vehicles owned by former DPWH district engineer Brice Hernandez — will be straightforward.

The DPWH chief reaffirmed the government’s commitment to track down and recover Co’s three air assets that have already been taken out of the Philippines.