Philippines corruption scandal: Marcos says Zaldy Co arrested in Czech Republic

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said a key suspect in a corruption case was arrested in the Czech Republic. The case has stirred anger across the Philippines. Marcos said officials were working to bring the former lawmaker back to face the process at home.

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Marcos identified the suspect as Zaldy Co, who quit the House of Representatives in September. Marcos said Co was detained in Prague after entering the country without proper documents. Marcos gave no further details about the arrest or the steps taken by Czech authorities.

Philippines corruption scandal and the attempt to return Zaldy Co

Marcos said, "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 Philippines has no extradition treaty with the Czech Republic. Marcos did not explain how custody would be pursued.

Philippine officials have cancelled Cos passport and asked Interpol for help. Co is linked to alleged irregularities tied to flood control projects. Co resigned in September after being named in claims about financial anomalies involving those projects.

Flood control projects corruption scandal and names under investigation

Co is among several powerful legislators accused of taking large kickbacks. The list included former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Senate President Francis Escudero. The allegations focused on flood control works in an archipelago often hit by typhoons. Co, Romualdez, Escudero and others have denied wrongdoing, but investigations continued.

Authorities also detained other suspects connected to the case. Those held included former government engineers and public works officials. Wealthy construction company executives were also detained. A former senator was detained as well, and all faced trial on corruption charges.

Flood control projects corruption scandal and the money under scrutiny

Investigators examined at least 9,855 flood control projects. The projects were worth more than 545 billion pesos, or $9 billion. The works were meant to be carried out since Marcos took office in mid-2022. Many projects were judged substandard, overpriced, or never built.

In September, then Finance Secretary Ralph Recto spoke at a congressional hearing. Ralph Recto said up to 118.5 billion pesos, nearly $2 billion, may have been lost. The funds were meant for flood control projects, and the losses may have occurred since 2023.

The scale of the alleged anomalies drew widespread attention and anger. News reports highlighted lavish lifestyles and fleets of costly European cars. Those reports added to public outrage over the corruption scandal. Large protests followed last year, in a country where millions still lived in appalling poverty.

With inputs from PTI