Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida confirmed that former representative Zaldy Co was no longer under the custody of authorities in the Czech Republic.
“I have to share difficult news mga Kababayan, the Czech authorities have confirmed to us that Mr. Zaldy Co is no longer in their custody,” Vida said during a press briefing at the Philippine Embassy in Prague.
Vida said Co had been apprehended on April 16 over immigration violations but was later released by local authorities.
He explained that Philippine officials initially received informal information indicating Co remained detained upon their arrival in the Czech Republic, prompting them to wait for official confirmation from Czech authorities during a scheduled meeting.
Despite an arrest warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan and Co being tagged as a fugitive, Vida acknowledged that the former lawmaker was effectively free while in Europe, though he expressed confidence that authorities would eventually locate him as “his world is getting smaller.”
The justice chief said there was workable intelligence pointing to Co’s presence within the Schengen area, a bloc of 29 European countries that have removed border controls at their shared land frontiers.
Vida added that Co had been carrying an expired passport dated Sept. 11, 2022 when he was first accosted, noting that he had been issued three passports: one official passport from his time as a congressman, another that had already been canceled by the Sandiganbayan, and the expired document.
He said Co likely moved across borders by land, citing information gathered on a vehicle and its driver, but declined to provide further details due to an ongoing operation, reiterating that authorities could only confirm Co’s presence somewhere within the Schengen area.