Fugitive former congressman Zaldy Co was tracked moving across several European countries before being arrested and detained in Prague, Czech Republic, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Friday, April 17.
According to Remulla, Co had been traveling between Italy and France in recent weeks before entering the Czech Republic, where authorities apprehended him for attempting to cross the border without proper documentation. “Sinusundan namin ang movement niya—galing siya ng Italy, pumunta siya ng France, tapos pumunta siya ng Czech Republic,” Remulla said, noting that Co had been “roaming around” in Europe and was last monitored in Italy about two weeks ago. Yesterday night, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed that Co was arrested in Prague after reportedly entering the country "without proper documentation." Remulla said that Czech authorities detained him after discovering he carried no passport. “Unang record sa kanya ay siya ay Philippine citizen nung nakitang kaso ng passport niya, nahold na siya for being undesirable agent,“ Remulla said. The DILG chief further said Co only had an identification card (I.D.) at the time of his arrest, which was deemed insufficient by Czech authorities. “Wala [siyang passport]—ID lang ang dala niya, pero that was insufficient for the Czech Republic kaya inaresto na siya,” he said, adding that there is no confirmed information that Co was carrying a Portuguese passport. The Interior chief suggested that Co may have grown complacent after previously staying for months inside a residence in Portugal. “Nainip siguro at naging kampante,” Remulla said. Remulla emphasized that once returned to the Philippines, Co will be turned over to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and brought to Camp Crame for standard booking procedures, including a medical examination, mugshot, and fingerprinting. He will then be presented before the Sandiganbayan, which will assume jurisdiction over his case. Remulla added that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is currently working on the process to secure custody of Co and facilitate his return to the country. Once granted, Philippine authorities, possibly with military assistance, will escort him back to the country. Although Remulla noted that the timeline for Co’s repatriation remains uncertain, he said the former lawmaker may return to Manila within one to three weeks. The Philippines does not have an extradition treaty with the Czech Republic, but Marcos said in a social media post that the government is continuing coordination with Czech authorities. In December 2025, the President announced that Co’s passport had been canceled and that assistance from Interpol had been sought to locate and arrest him. An Interpol red notice request filed in November 2025 is still pending, according to Remulla. “I'm only to confirm that he has been arrested and the government is using all its power para mapabalik siya sa Pilipinas,” Remulla said. Remulla noted that the Philippines maintains good diplomatic relations with the Czech Republic, which may help facilitate high-level discussions regarding Co’s return. The former legislator had reportedly been outside the Philippines for at least nine months, even before the allegations became public and controversial. Co is wanted in the Philippines for allegedly orchestrating a large-scale corruption scheme involving bogus flood control projects. Authorities believe billions of pesos were siphoned through kickbacks allegedly involving lawmakers and officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Several lawmakers have been implicated in the alleged corruption scheme by self-confessed collaborators, including former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Senate President Francis Escudero, who were accused of receiving substantial kickbacks tied to flood control projects.
