Camille Naredo

A screengrab from a video released by former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co implicating President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the insertion of P100-B worth of projects in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). Courtesy of Zaldy Co/File

A screengrab from a video released by former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co implicating President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the insertion of P100-B worth of projects in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

(Courtesy of Zaldy Co)

Article (news)

ZALDY CO

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178312097500119040101-ako-bicol-rep-zaldy-co-HO.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="A screengrab from a video released by former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co implicating President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the insertion of P100-B worth of projects in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). Courtesy of Zaldy Co/File"/>A screengrab from a video released by former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co implicating President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the insertion of P100-B worth of projects in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). Courtesy of Zaldy Co/File</div>VANCOUVER, Canada – Malacañang maintained that authorities are still looking for fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co and assured that a recent Sandiganbayan order to archive his graft case is only temporary.This comes after the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division ordered the archiving of a graft case against Co related to an alleged anomalous flood control project after law enforcement authorities failed to locate and arrest him for more than six months.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/2/sandiganbayan-7th-division-archives-graft-case-against-fugitive-zaldy-co-2041" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">READ: Sandiganbayan 7th Division archives graft case against fugitive Zaldy Co</a></div>&quot;Hindi naman po pinapabayaan ang obligasyon na hanapin si Zaldy Co. Dahil sabi nga po nila, napakahalagang testigo ni Zaldy Co. Mahalaga rin po siyang tao para sagutin ang mga akusasyon na ibinabato sa kanya,&quot; Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro told reporters in a press briefing here in Vancouver, Canada, on Friday, July 3 (local time), on the sidelines of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s official visit.The Palace official further clarified that the order was procedural in nature and did not mean a dismissal of the charges.&quot;Pag sinabi po nating archive, ito ay hindi lamang po ilalagay sa mga active cases na in-schedule for hearing. So ilalagay mo muna po ito sa status na naka-archive at kapag ka po nahuli na si Zaldy Co, bubuhayin po. I mean, ilalabas pong muli ang kaso para maging active,&quot; she said.&quot;Pero hindi po umaandar, tandaan po natin, pag ang kaso po ay naka-archive, yung period hindi po ito umaandar. Nahinto siya. So kahit matagal siyang hindi nakabalik ng Pilipinas at kapag ka po siya ay nahuli, aandar at aandar po yung kaso,&quot; Castro stated.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/3/zaldy-co-s-8-ex-bodyguards-sign-affidavits-1912">READ: Zaldy Co’s 8 former aides sign affidavits</a></div>Co, the former chairperson of the House of Representatives appropriations committee, is a central figure in the flood control scandal.In November 2025, the former lawmaker released a series of recorded videos on his social media account implicating several high-ranking government officials, including Marcos Jr. and his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, in alleged kickbacks.He is facing graft and malversation cases over an allegedly anomalous road dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. He left the Philippines in July 2025 with a travel authority issued for medical purposes.The anti-graft court issued a warrant for his arrest on Nov. 21, 2025.Last April, Marcos Jr. himself vowed to bring the former lawmaker back to the Philippines after reporting that Co was arrested in the Czech Republic for alleged immigration violations.The Palace later confirmed that Co was no longer under the custody of Czech authorities and had been seeking political asylum in France.

Malacañang maintained that authorities are still looking for fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co and assured that a recent Sandiganbayan order to archive his graft case is only temporary.

Malacañang maintained that authorities are still looking for fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co and assured that a recent Sandiganbayan order to archive his graft case is only temporary.

Palace says authorities still pursuing Zaldy Co, assures graft case to continue once arrested

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Palace says authorities still pursuing Zaldy Co, assures graft case to continue once arrested

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 04, 2026 07:26 AM PHT

Read More:

Palace

Claire Castro

Zaldy Co

Sandiganbayan

graft

flood control

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