Former Philippine lawmaker Zaldy Co, a key suspect in a flood control corruption scandal that triggered mass protests, was arrested in Prague after entering the Czech Republic without proper documentation, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday. Marcos said his government is in close coordination with Czech authorities to arrange Co’s return to the Philippines, though the two countries have no extradition treaty.
The arrest is a significant development in a scandal that implicated multiple senior Philippine legislators in the alleged diversion of billions of pesos intended for flood control infrastructure in a nation regularly battered by typhoons and deadly storms.
MANILA, Philippines — Former Philippine lawmaker Zaldy Co, a key suspect in a corruption scandal over flood control projects, was arrested in Prague after entering the Czech Republic without proper documentation, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday.
“We are in close coordination with the Czech government to ensure that all legal processes are followed and to arrange for his return to the Philippines at the soonest possible time,” Marcos said in a statement.
Co resigned from the House of Representatives in September after being implicated in financial anomalies involving flood control projects. Philippine officials had cancelled Co’s passport and sought Interpol’s help to locate him before his detention in Prague. The Philippines has no extradition treaty with the Czech Republic, and Marcos did not specify how his government would seek Co’s custody.
Scale of the Alleged Fraud
Co is one of several powerful current and former legislators who face allegations of pocketing kickbacks from flood control infrastructure in an archipelago nation regularly struck by typhoons and deadly flooding. Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Senate President Francis Escudero are among those accused. Co, Romualdez, Escudero and other legislators have denied any wrongdoing but have come under formal investigation.
At least 9,855 flood control projects worth more than 545 billion pesos ($9 billion) undertaken since Marcos took office in mid-2022 came under scrutiny. Many were found to be substandard, overpriced, or were not built at all, according to the Associated Press.
In September, then Finance Secretary Ralph Recto told a congressional hearing that up to 118.5 billion pesos — nearly $2 billion — intended for flood control projects may have been lost to corruption since 2023.
Several former government engineers, public works officials, wealthy construction company executives, and a former senator have been detained while facing trial on corruption charges.
Protests and Public Anger
News reports detailing the lavish lifestyles and fleets of expensive European cars belonging to some suspects sparked large anti-corruption protests in the Philippines, a country where millions live in severe poverty.