Despite the delay, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) chief said he remains confident that authorities would eventually secure Co’s return to the Philippines.
“I am confident we will get the red notice and I am confident we will get Zaldy Co back here to the Philippines,” he said.
Remulla described the red notice request as the government’s “only hope” in compelling international law enforcement cooperation.
Asked about the possibility of Co securing political asylum in France, Remulla said Philippine authorities are racing against time before the asylum process is completed.
“Unahin muna natin ‘yung red notice, kukunin namin siya. I am confident na bago matapos ‘yung mga asylum application niya makukuha na natin si Zaldy,” he said.
(First, we’ll prioritize the red notice — we will get him. I am confident that before his asylum application is completed, we will already have Zaldy.)
According to Remulla, Co only recently applied for political asylum in France, stressing that the asylum bid is separate from the earlier red notice request.
He also revealed details of Co’s recent movements across Europe, saying the former lawmaker traveled through Portugal, Italy, France, Prague, and Germany.
As earlier reported, Co was detained near the Czech Republic-Germany border after allegedly presenting an expired Philippine passport while attempting to enter Germany.
He was later released by Czech authorities who refused to provide further details about the former government official.
Remulla further claimed that Co is now staying in an upscale property near luxury fashion establishments in Paris.
“He has a house in Champs-Élysées, 10 bedrooms na malapit sa Christian Dior, probably worth 200 million euros,” Remulla said.
Co has a standing arrest warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan over the anomalous P289-million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
The former lawmaker is central to the investigations on flood control anomalies after several witnesses pointed at him as recipients of billions-worth of kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects.
Construction firm, Sunwest Corporation, which was co-founded by Co, is among the top 15 construction firms that bagged 20 percent, or P100 billion worth of flood control projects in the country from 2022 to 2025.
In a series of video statements, Co pointed at Marcos and his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, as the recipient of the kickbacks from the anomalous flood control projects.
He said P56 billion worth of kickbacks from flood control projects in Bulacan were given to Marcos and Romualdez. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
