The Department of Justice has clarified that former Ako-Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co has not been arrested in Prague, a striking clarification following President Bongbong Marcos‘ announcement of his arrest.
In an ambush interview, DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez said Co was not arrested and that Philippine government officials have yet to see him.
“We have to be careful with the nomenclature — he’s not arrested,” Martinez said, according to a report published by The Daily Tribune. “When Zaldy Co was found in the Czech Republic, their government notified the Philippines.”
A group of top officials, including Justice Secretary Frederick Vida, traveled to Prague earlier this week to process Co’s return to the Philippines. However, Martinez said the fugitive former lawmaker, who has been tagged in several major corruption allegations, has yet to be seen by Philippine officials.
“Even if the Department of Justice has not seen it firsthand, the Philippine government is sure that the Czech Republic is keeping him in very humane conditions,” Martinez said.
Marcos announced Co’s arrest last week in a Facebook post. “He is now detained in Prague after crossing into the Czech Republic without proper documentation and is currently in the custody of Czech authorities,” Marcos said.
Amid questions over the validity of Co’s arrest, Malacañang has dismissed claims that it was fake news and said the government is being careful in handling him.
Co has been identified as one of the alleged masterminds in the flood control corruption scandal for his tenure as chair of the House appropriations committee, a post he held from 2022 until his removal in January 2025.
