President Marcos’ announcement about flood control scam suspect Zaldy Co being held in Prague was neither false nor premature, Malacañang said yesterday, but officials have yet to provide clear answers to questions about the former lawmaker’s whereabouts.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro maintained that Marcos never used the word ‘arrested’ when he announced that Co had been detained after crossing into the Czech Republic without proper documentation last April 16.
According to Castro, being caught does not necessarily mean that one has been arrested.
She said the word nahuli or caught is ‘very general’ and may mean to be stopped or to be prevented from moving.
‘What the President reported on April 16 was not wrong,’ the Palace press officer said at a press briefing.
‘For now, I cannot say who provided him the report. But the President is careful when making announcements to the people, so do not attribute the word ‘arrest’ to the President because he did not use it,’ she added.
A press release by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and several media reports about Marcos’ announcement used the word ‘arrest.’
It took eight days before the Department of Justice (DOJ) clarified that Co was ‘not technically arrested,’ although there was a ‘deprivation’ of his liberty ‘to a certain degree.’
Speaking to reporters last April 24, DOJ spokesman Polo Martinez likened Co’s situation to a person who arrived at an airport, but was denied entry or was excluded. ?
Castro pointed out that in his April 16 post, Marcos said that the administration was in close coordination with the Czech government to ensure that all legal processes are followed and to arrange for Co’s return to the Philippines at the soonest possible time.
The following day, the President published another social media post confirming that Co was stopped at the German border after entering from the Czech Republic and that the flood control scam suspect was denied entry and returned to Czech authorities.
Castro said the Czech Republic also did not use the word ‘arrest.’?’If it (arrested) was used by the PCO, that was its translation, most probably, of the word nahuli. But when it was learned that it was not the term being used by the Czech Republic, it was respected and we had it corrected, in line with the preferred word or term of the Czech Republic,’ she said.
‘Since we are not the only ones involved here, there is another country whose policy we need to respect.’?Although the DOJ had raised the possibility that Co may no longer be in the Czech Republic, Castro denied that Marcos’ announcement was premature.?’What does the President want? To bring Zaldy Co to the Philippines. That’s correct and nothing has changed. Until now, we want that. So what’s premature there? There is nothing premature there,’ the Palace press officer said.