Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Article (news)

Zaldy Co

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA <strong>(4th UPDATE)</strong> — Arrest warrants have been issued for the arrest of former congressman Zaldy Co — a central figure in controversy over corruption in flood control projects — and 17 others in the Department of Public Works and Highways and in Sunwest Corp., a company that Co founded.</p><p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made announcement of the issuance of the warrant on Friday afternoon.</p><p>&quot;Kaya’t sa ating law enforcement agencies, huwag na nating patagalin pa. Arestuhin na ninyo sila. Siguraduhin maisagawa ito nang mabilis at tama. Gumugulong na ang hustisya,&quot; the President also said.</p><p>(So, to our law enforcement agencies, let us not prolong this. Arrest them. Make sure this is done quickly and properly. The wheels of justice are now turning.)</p><p>The Sandiganbayan fifth, sixth, and seventh divisions issued 11 hold departure orders and two warrants of arrest against Co and others.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/21/dpwh-set-to-recommend-plunder-raps-vs-martin-romualdez-zaldy-co-0814"><strong>DPWH, ICI recommend plunder raps vs Martin Romualdez, Zaldy Co<br/></strong></a></div><p>Co is a former chair of the House appropriations panel, and influential position since the committee works on the bill that will become the national budget.</p><p>Co, who has been out of the country since early 2025, has denied allegations and has accused the President and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez of getting kickbacks from infrastructure projects.</p><p>The Office of the Ombudsman, in a statement, welcomed the issuance of the arrest warrant as it also urged law enforcement agencies to &quot;execute these warrants without delay.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Ensure their immediate arrest and bring them before the bar of justice,&quot; it also said.</p><p>Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano previously said an arrest warrant against Co could be used as basis to cancel his passport and to issue an Interpol red notice, steps that could help lead to his capture.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02WDBx4CJ4cfCmsmJEMFfefa8uEErWJkenDdkDDsCmRfr3MYCnJRC2CypT2FNBFSsvl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="703" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>OMBUDSMAN: NOBODY IS BEYOND REACH</strong></div><p>Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla previously said he is confident that Philippine authorities can locate and arrest the fugitive politician.</p><p>&quot;In this day and age nobody is beyond reach,&quot; Remulla said.</p><p>“If you use social media to tell people that these fugitives are hiding in their country, I don’t think they would stand for it,” he said.</p><p>Remulla recalled the case of expelled Negros Oriental Rep. Arnie Teves who fled to Timor Leste after he was tagged as the mastermind of former Oriental Mindoro Governor Roel Degamo.</p><p>&quot;We waited for the right time and when we were about to host the ASEAN, we released a statement: We will block the membership of Timor Leste unless they surrender Arnie Teves,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;They caught him and they allowed us to bring him home.&quot; </p><p>He added governments would likely cooperate with requests for law enforcement assistance &quot;because it may happen to you too, to the other countries, and they would want our cooperation.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CASES RAFFLED OFF <br/></strong></div><p>Marcos Jr.&#x27;s announcement came just two days after <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/20/a-look-at-sandiganbayan-divisions-handling-cases-on-flood-control-1800">the Sandiganbayan raffled off the malversation and graft cases</a> against Co, several public works officials, and the Sunwest board of directors.</p><p>It also came amid public pressure to swiftly arrest government officials and other key personalities in the flood-control corruption scandal.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/19/catholic-church-to-lead-anti-corruption-movement-on-nov-23-2041"><strong>Catholic Church to lead anti-corruption movement on Nov. 23</strong></a></div><p>Marcos Jr., in his State of the Nation Address in July, ordered government agencies to probe the flood relief programs after the country was hit by severe inundation days before his speech.</p><p>The following month, he flagged 15 construction firms that bagged 20 percent or P100 billion of the P545.64-billion flood control projects budget from July 2022 to May 2025.</p><p>His exposé spawned government inquiries into the corruption scandal, which angered the public and triggered nationwide protests attended by civil society organizations, including religious groups. <strong>— Rowegie Abanto, Katrina Domingo, Andrea Taguines, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/6/group-vows-louder-anti-corruption-protests-on-nov-30-1709"><strong>Group vows &#x27;louder&#x27; anti-corruption protests on Nov. 30</strong></a></div>

<p>"Kaya’t sa ating law enforcement agencies, huwag na nating patagalin pa. Arestuhin na ninyo sila. Siguraduhin maisagawa ito nang mabilis at tama. Gumugulong na ang hustisya," the President also said.</p>

"Kaya’t sa ating law enforcement agencies, huwag na nating patagalin pa. Arestuhin na ninyo sila. Siguraduhin maisagawa ito nang mabilis at tama. Gumugulong na ang hustisya," the President also said.

Arrest warrants out for Zaldy Co, others tagged in flood control mess — Marcos Jr.

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Arrest warrants out for Zaldy Co, others tagged in flood control mess — Marcos Jr.

ABS-CBN News

Published November 21, 2025 04:35 PM PHT

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Updated November 21, 2025 08:49 PM PHT

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Zaldy Co

Department of Public Works and Highways

Sunwest Corp.

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