Zaldy Co reportedly with family when stopped at German border lacking travel documents

April 20 ------ Former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co was reportedly with his family when they were stopped and subjected to a random check at the border as they were entering Germany from the Czech Republic.

According to Mariz Umali’s report on “24 Oras,” a source said Co and his family were together in a car with French license plates and driven by a French driver when they went through the border check. Germany’s more stringent border control, marked by temporary and random checks, was supposed to last only until the first week of April but was extended until September 15. It was not clear who among his family was with Co but they were among those subjected to the random border checks by the German authorities. Without their travel documents, they were sent back to the Czech Republic. “He is considered an unwanted alien because he had no travel papers,” Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla said.

Remulla said the Portuguese passport that Co was suspected of having was not with him when he crossed the border. “ID lang ang dala niya,” Remulla said. Co reportedly went to the US in August 2025 for medical treatment. He never returned after that trip. He was reported to have been to Singapore and Japan before going to Europe.

Co reportedly bought a house in Portugal and even reportedly secured a Portuguese passport. “The difficult part is that there is still no red notice from Interpol,” Remulla said. He said the Philippine government applied for the red notice on Co in November 2025. With Europe’s one-visa policy, Co could freely go around the continent. He was reported to have been spotted in France and Italy before the Holy Week. The Philippines has no extradition treaty with the Czech Republic. High-level talks are ongoing to ensure his return to the Philippines.

Flood control projects

Co is one of the 16 individuals facing charges of graft and malversation in connection with the P289 million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, built by Sunwest Corporation - a firm owned by his immediate family members. Former Department of Public Works and Highways district engineer Henry Alcantara linked him and other officials to kickbacks from alleged ghost flood control projects. Co was the former chairman of the influential Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and was instrumental in the shaping of the national budget.

In January 2025 resigned from the House appropriations committee after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. vetoed P168 billion in unprogrammed appropriations and more than P26 billion worth of DPWH projects. Co cited health reasons for his resignation. He was also linked to billions of pesos in budget insertions. Co repeatedly denied receiving kickbacks and benefiting from the insertions in the national budget. He went to the US in August 2025 for medical treatment and has since not returned to the Philippines. On September 25, 2025, he resigned from the House of Representatives after his travel authority was revoked by the House leadership.

Source: gmanetwork.com