Fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co — one of the biggest names in the flood control corruption mess — was arrested in Prague, Czech Republic. No less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made this announcement on Thursday, April 16.

The President said Co was arrested by Czech authorities in Prague because he lacked the proper documents.

A day later, on April 17, Marcos said Co was stopped at the German border and was sent back to the Czech Republic, where he was being held.

“Our coordination with Czech authorities continues. The latest information confirms that Zaldy Co was stopped at the German border after entering from the Czech Republic. He was denied entry and returned to Czech authorities, where he remains in custody,” the President said.

Department of the Interior and Local Government chief Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla said on Friday that Co was arrested for not having a passport when he entered the Czech Republic. The resigned lawmaker was nabbed at around 3 pm, Manila time. 

“He was subsequently detained on the charge of being an unwanted alien. Subsequently, the Philippine authorities were informed and the embassy is taking cognizance over it,” Remulla said in an ABS-CBN interview. 

Co’s passport had already been canceled by the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan in December which removed the former lawmaker’s legal basis for remaining in another country.

The cancellation was triggered by the warrants of arrest against Co and his fellow accused for their graft and malversation cases pending before the Sandiganbayan.

The former lawmaker, some Sunwest board members, and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Mimaropa officials were charged due to alleged irregularities in the procurement and construction of a P289-million flood control project along the Mag-asawang Tubig River in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

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What are possible options to bring Co home?

Apart from announcing Co’s arrest and his whereabouts, the Marcos administration has yet to provide more specific details about the incident. As of writing, the President and his Cabinet have yet to disclose their game plan to bring Co home. 

However, Remulla hinted that they may go the deportation route: “I’m here to confirm that he has been arrested and that we are working towards his deportation to the Philippines.”

There are two options to bring an overseas fugitive back to the Philippines.

One is through deportation, which can be done by the other country if there is an offense such as an immigration violation. The other is through extradition on condition that an extradition treaty exists between two countries to invoke this.

“Did his Schengen visa expire? If so or possibly on the basis of some other discrepancy — was he using a passport that may have been flagged? Then Czech Republic could deport him,” international law expert and International Center for Transitional Justice’s Ruben Carranza told Rappler.

Unfortunately, the Philippines and the Czech Republic have no extradition treaty, but this doesn’t mean that Co cannot be extradited. Carranza said the country’s past engagements with the European country might come in handy.

“There are two things going in favor of extradition: (1) The Philippines can likely show that the offense he is charged with is NOT a political offense but an offense involving corruption. (2) The Philippines has previously worked with Czech authorities on extraditing a Czech fugitive hiding in the Philippines,” Carranza explained.

But Carranza warned that Co may give authorities a hard time submitting to extradition. The former lawmaker may utilize due process rights under Czech courts, or through the European Court of Human Rights.

“He will claim that his case is in fact ‘political’ even if the charges are not,” the international law expert said.

If this happens, then he will create a scenario similar to the case of former lawmaker Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves. The former congressman also became a fugitive when he was running away from his criminal cases in the Philippines that stemmed from the assassination of former Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and other alleged crimes.

The Philippine government initially went through an extradition process, but Teves won in this option. Ultimately, Teves was sent back to the Philippines when the Timor-Leste government itself flexed its administrative muscles and deported the former lawmaker in May 2025.

What happens when Co arrives in PH?

Remulla told Rappler that Co will be brought to the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City once he arrives in the country. 

There, he will undergo standard booking procedures for persons deprived of liberty, including a medical check-up. Afterwards, he will be brought to the Sandiganbayan for the return of warrant.

The anti-graft court will then decide where Co will be detained while the trial for his cases is ongoing.

Co will likely be held at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology as this is the designated detention facility for flood control cases.

Co, however, may ask the Court to detain him somewhere else, like in Camp Crame, where high-profile suspects in other cases were previously held. 

But this is unlikely because the others accused in the other flood control cases, like former senator Bong Revilla, were not allowed by the anti-graft court to stay elsewhere besides Payatas. The Sandiganbayan considered the PNP’s request to refrain from accepting new accused in Camp Crame due to the manpower and financial constraints of the police.

Co will later be arraigned at the Sandiganbayan, where he will enter either a guilty or not guilty plea. If he refuses to enter a plea, the Court will enter a not guilty plea on his behalf, after which the pre-trial and trial itself will start.

Effects on Sandiganbayan case

Co’s arrest also means that the former lawmaker will finally face the court after months of being a fugitive. His graft cases pending in other Sandiganbayan divisions will finally move.

At the 6th Division, where Co’s malversation case is pending, the prosecution is already done presenting their evidence.

Office of the Ombudsman prosecutors had brought state witnesses like former DPHW district engineer Henry Alcantara and former undersecretary Roberto Bernardo to establish Co’s alleged involvement in DPWH corruption and his ties to Sunwest.

The prosecution’s case stands on the argument that Co is still the beneficial owner of Sunwest, a contractor allegedly linked to corruption.

Co’s graft cases are bailable, but his malversation charge is not, so he would need to file a petition for bail to seek provisional liberty.

The odds, however, are against Co because the 6th Division had already denied the bail petition of Co’s accused.

Co was also declared a fugitive from justice, which means that he cannot avail of relief from courts. – Rappler.com