The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has denied insinuations that it is ‘lawyering’ for resigned Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co amid calls to cancel his passport.
DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona issued the statement late Friday after the remarks of Rep. Toby Tiangco, asking why it seems like the DFA was defending Co on why his passport cannot be immediately canceled.
Escalona said this allegation ‘reflects a misunderstanding of the legal standards governing passport cancellation.’
She pointed out that the cancellation or revocation of a passport is a process governed by established legal criteria and ‘is not subject to arbitrary or political considerations.’
‘Our respect for the constitutional guarantee of due process and the rule of law cannot be rewritten on a whim – the government cannot simply play ‘gotcha’ with passports,’ she said.
‘If Congressman Tiangco has genuine concerns and substantive evidence, he should seek judicial relief, rather than indulge in baseless accusations. Upholding the rule of law, not rhetoric, must remain the compass of public service.’
In a press briefing on Friday, Tiangco posited that the DFA has the power to cancel Co’s passport, questioning why it cannot swiftly act on the cancellation when the public is already calling for the former lawmaker’s immediate return to the Philippines.
‘Shouldn’t you cancel it, then let his lawyer question the cancellation in court? Why does it seem like they are even lawyering on the issue of cancellation?’ he said in Filipino.
Escalona noted that under the New Passport Law, the DFA may only cancel or revoke a passport if it was acquired fraudulently, tampered with, or issued erroneously; or upon orders of the court when the holder has been convicted of a criminal offense or is a fugitive from justice.
Co, who has been accused of receiving kickbacks from questionable flood control projects, initially flew to the United States to seek medical treatment.
His travel clearance from the House of Representatives has been revoked.