Jamaine Punzalan

Then Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co. House of Representatives

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177640076124620251114-ako-bicol-rep-zaldy-co-HOR.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Then Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co. House of Representatives</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Former lawmaker Zaldy Co will be asked to face the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee “at first opportunity” after his arrest, panel chairperson and Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said.</p><p>&quot;At first opportunity, the BRC will invite/summon ex Cong Zaldy Co, with leave of court of course since he has a pending warrant of arrest issued by the Sandiganbayan.&quot; Lacson told ABS-CBN News late Thursday night.</p><p>Lacson recalled Co, the former House Appropriations Committee chairperson, was already asked to show cause before the panel last January when he failed to testify.</p><p>Various witnesses have claimed Co received kickbacks and cash deliveries. He was charged with graft alongside a number of public works officials and construction firm owners. </p><p>Co, who quit the House of Representatives in September amid the scandal, later began releasing videos he said proved President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself was the mastermind behind the corruption.</p><p>Marcos has consistently denied any connection to the scandal, noting it was he who brought the issue center state in a national address.</p><p>&quot;Co was <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/17/zaldy-co-stopped-at-german-border-after-entering-from-czech-republic-marcos-0936">stopped at the German border</a> after entering from the Czech Republic,&quot; Marcos said in an update posted on X on Friday.</p><p>&quot;He was denied entry and returned to Czech authorities, where he remains in custody.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/17/zaldy-co-s-complacent-europe-trip-led-to-his-arrest-remulla-1154">Zaldy Co&#x27;s &#x27;complacency&#x27; led to his arrest—Remulla</a></div><p>In an earlier post on Facebook, Marcos said Co was detained in Prague &quot;after crossing into the Czech Republic without proper documentation&quot;.</p><p>Manila was &quot;in close coordination with the Czech government to ensure that all legal processes are followed and to arrange for his return to the Philippines at the soonest possible time.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/17/zaldy-co-may-be-back-in-ph-in-1-3-weeks-remulla-0723">Zaldy Co back in PH in &#x27;1-3 weeks&#x27;: Remulla </a></div><p>Officials pledged the charges against Co would be the &quot;first of many cases brought&quot;, as state prosecutors have yet to bring charges against other senators and congressmen implicated in the scam.</p><p>A special commission formed by Marcos in September has since been disbanded, with the president saying that &quot;much of their work has already been done&quot;.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZN0fXtxz_LQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>HOUSE PROBE </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Co’s possible return to the Philippines will not automatically trigger the resumption of the separate House Infrastructure Committee probe into alleged anomalies in flood control projects, according to panel co-chairperson Terry Ridon.</p><p>He said it will be better for a non-House body to continue the work of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure in prosecuting legislators supposedly involved in flood control corruption, in order to avoid conflict of interest situations.</p><p>“Former Congressman Zaldy Co was a former House Appropriations Chair, and most certainly, many of those involved were and are legislators up until today. One of the reasons why we suspended the House Infra Comm proceedings was precisely because of that,” Ridon said.</p><p>“So even if the ICI had already winded down, ‘yung Ombudsman naman po is still continuing to undertake the investigation. In fact, they have made announcements already na mayroong cong-tractors, contractor-congressmen, I think, at least 25 na iniimbestigahan ang Ombudsman ngayon,” he added.  </p><p>Still, Ridon expects Co to shed more light into the flood control issue when he returns to the country.</p><p>“Inaasahan na pagbalik niya sa bansa ay makakapagbigay siya ng mga dagdag na impormasyon, dagdag na detalye dito sa mga maanomalyang flood control projects sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa,” he said.</p><p>“Ito ay magbibigay ng pagkakataon din kay (former) Congressman Zaldy Co na harapin at magbigay ng kanyang depensa dito sa ongoing proceedings na ngayon sa Sandiganbayan,” he added.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q-0SXnwe5aA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima urged the Philippine government to “waste no time” and “fast track” Co’s deportation. </p><p>“Dapat harapin na nya ang mga kaso laban sa kanya, panumpaan nya sa tamang forum ‘yung mga alegasyon nya, at isiwalat sa mga imbestigasyon ang lahat-lahat ng mga nalalaman nya maging mga ebidensyang meron sya ukol sa maanomalyang flood control projects,” De Lima said in a statement.</p><p>Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco called on the government to send a high-level team to the Czech Republic to coordinate Co’s quick return.</p><p>“Umaasa po tayo na kapag napauwi na sya sa ating bansa, haharapin niya ang mga kasong corruption and malversation of public funds na ipinataw sa kanya at sabihin niya ‘under oath’ kung sinu-sino pa ang kasabwat niya sa pinakamalaking korapsyon sa kasaysayan ng ating bansa. Dapat tumulong din siya na maibalik ang mga nakaw na yaman na ito,” Tiangco said.</p><p>Akbayan Party List Representative Chel Diokno, for his part, considers Co’s arrest a “welcome development”.</p><p>“Pagkakataon na rin ito ni Co na magpaliwanag at sagutin ang mga alegasyon tungkol sa 2025 budget at maanomalyang flood control projects. As the country continues to deal with the consequences of these projects, one thing is clear: hindi nakakalimot ang taumbayan. May this serve as a reminder that the rule of law must apply to all, including those in power and influence,” Diokno said in a statement.</p><p>For congressmen from the Makabayan bloc, when Co returns to the country, it should be the “beginning of a full public reckoning over the flood control scam and the broader system of corruption in public works and budgeting”.</p><p>“Co’s repatriation will also make it possible for him to testify under oath on his previous revelations regarding the role of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and other high officials in a corruption network that enabled massive budget insertions and anomalous infrastructure allocations,” ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Rep. Renee Co said in a joint statement.</p><p>“Hindi pwedeng si Co lang ang panagutin kung sistema ang nagpatakbo ng korupsyon. Dapat managot ang lahat ng nakinabang—kahit gaano kataas ang kanilang puwesto. Dapat managot lahat ng sangkot, simula sa pinakatuktok,” they added.</p><p>“By the time he is brought back and tells all, the one year bar will have expired and it will be time for another impeachment of Marcos,” Tinio noted.</p><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>Former lawmaker Zaldy Co will be asked to face the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee “at first opportunity” after his arrest, panel chairperson and Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said.</p>

Former lawmaker Zaldy Co will be asked to face the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee “at first opportunity” after his arrest, panel chairperson and Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said.

Co to be summoned to Blue Ribbon's flood control probe ‘at first opportunity’ – Lacson

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Co to be summoned to Blue Ribbon's flood control probe ‘at first opportunity’ – Lacson

RG Cruz and Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse

Published April 17, 2026 12:48 PM PHT

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Updated April 17, 2026 01:06 PM PHT

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Zaldy Co

Senate

Senate Blue Ribbon

budget insertions

kickbacks

flood control

Lacson

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