EX-CONGRESSMAN Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co has been arrested in Prague, Czech Republic, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Thursday night.
In a Facebook post published at 9:43 p.m., Marcos Jr. said Co was under the custody of Czech authorities, with which the Philippine government was coordinating to facilitate the fugitive former lawmaker’s return.
“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,” the president said.
Co has been hiding from authorities since July 2025, after Marcos Jr. exposed massive corruption in flood-control projects during his State of the Nation Address.
READ: ‘Mahiya naman kayo’: BBM slams corruption in flood control
Co, who earned his master’s degree in business administration in 1998 from the University of Santo Tomas Legazpi (formerly Aquinas University), rose to national prominence after entering politics in 2019 as a representative of the Ako Bicol party-list.
He assumed the chairmanship of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations in 2025.
The appropriations panel oversees the national budget, including the allocation of funds to government agencies and infrastructure projects.
Controversies
Co was said to have demanded a 25% kickback in exchange for project approvals by contractors.
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Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco also accused Co of proposing P13.8 billion in budget insertions in the 2025 national budget, largely tied to flood control projects.
Co was linked to Sunwest Inc., a construction firm that reportedly received over P10 billion from dozens of flood-control projects flagged for irregularities.
Some of these projects reportedly went to provinces such as Abra, Bukidnon, Sarangani, and Oriental Mindoro, with local officials claiming they did not request such funding.
The embattled lawmaker has denied all allegations, maintaining that the national budget underwent scrutiny and approval by both chambers of Congress and the president.
Prior to his reported arrest, Co was allegedly in the United States for medical treatment and had skipped multiple House hearings investigating the alleged anomalies.
As of writing, Philippine authorities have yet to release details on Co’s repatriation.
