Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida confirmed that former Rep. Zaldy Co is no longer in the custody of the Czech Republic after being earlier held for immigration violations.
‘I have to share difficult news mga kababayan, the Czech authorities have confirmed to us that Mr. Zaldy Co is no longer in their custody,’ Vida said in a press briefing held at the Philippine Embassy in Prague.
Vida said Co was accosted on April 16 due to immigration violations but was subsequently released, although the exact date of his release remains unclear.
Vida said they had ‘listening posts’ that informed them, upon their arrival in the Czech Republic, that Co was still in custody.
‘We have listening posts. We are talking to some people. But there is nothing official from the Czech authorities. That’s why we waited for that meeting earlier (Monday 2 p.m. Czech time),’ he said.
Despite a warrant of arrest issued by the Sandiganbayan and Co being declared a fugitive, Vida acknowledged that the former lawmaker is currently free in Europe.
‘Yes he is free,’ he said, adding that authorities remain confident Co will be apprehended again as ‘his world is getting smaller.’
Vida said there is ‘workable intel’ indicating that Co is still within the Schengen area, a zone of 29 European countries that have abolished border controls at their mutual borders.
The justice chief noted that Co was carrying an expired passport, which lapsed on Sept. 11, 2022, when he was first accosted by Czech authorities.
He added that Co had three passports: an official passport issued during his term as congressman, a current passport already canceled by the Sandiganbayan, and the expired 2022 passport.
Vida admitted that Co managed to cross borders despite lacking a valid passport, noting that inspections are rare at land borders within the Schengen zone.
‘What we can confirm is that he is within the Schengen area,’ he said.
‘Definitely, he was traveling by land. We are also aware that we received information regarding the vehicle’s registry. We also got information as to the driver,’ Vida added.
Philippine authorities declined to disclose further details, citing an ongoing operation.
‘Our goal is to make his world smaller. If I tell you he is in Quiapo, he will leave Quiapo. What I can tell you is he is in the Schengen area,’ Vida said.