The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Saturday urged former lawmaker Zaldy Co and his co-accused to submit themselves to authorities after the Sandiganbayan issued arrest warrants in connection with alleged irregularities in flood-control infrastructure projects.
Co, who previously served as a representative for the Ako Bicol party-list, has been indicted along with 17 other individuals in what government investigators describe as a large-scale “anomalous” flood-control program involving substandard or non-existent projects.
According to the NBI, Co and the others linked to the flood control mess bear responsibility for projects that were supposed to mitigate flooding but are now being scrutinized for suspected graft and malversation.
Authorities have set a deadline for surrender, giving Co and the others until Monday to present themselves.
Failure to comply could result in more forceful action to effect their arrest.
Co has denied the allegations, and for months he has been reported to be outside the Philippines.
Senior officials say this is a significant escalation in the government’s campaign to hold accountable those alleged to have diverted public funds earmarked for flood control.
The warrants mark one of the first visible moves to translate mounting testimony and audit findings into formal charges and enforcement.
The NBI reiterated its call for all individuals named in the warrants to cooperate, emphasising that surrender is a “choice and not a free pass” and urging them to face due process.
With public scrutiny intensifying and pressure mounting on government agencies to act, the case awaits the next steps of prosecution and asset recovery.