DEPORTING former congressman Zaldy Co from Portugal has been floated as a possible way to bring him back to the Philippines, but Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Monday it remains “improbable” under existing legal constraints. Remulla said that under Portuguese law, deportation would only be possible if authorities could establish that the alleged crimes linked to Co were committed before he acquired Portuguese citizenship. Co obtained his Portuguese passport about a decade ago, meaning any offense that could justify deportation would have to predate that acquisition, Remulla said. “The mere cancellation of his passport would not work because he enjoys all the rights and privileges of a Portuguese citizen,” he said. Once citizenship is granted, a host country’s legal protections apply in full, significantly narrowing the circumstances under which deportation can be pursued, Remulla said. The Philippine government’s options are further limited by the absence of an extradition treaty between the Philippines and Portugal. Without such an agreement, authorities cannot compel Portuguese officials to surrender Co, even if criminal cases are pursued in Philippine courts. Remulla said the government was reviewing all possible legal avenues under international law, including relevant United Nations conventions and other multilateral agreements, to determine if any of them could be invoked to secure Co’s repatriation. “Deportation may sound straightforward, but it has to follow the rule of law,” Remulla said, stressing that any move must comply with both Philippine statutes and Portugal’s domestic legal framework, as well as international obligations binding on both states. While some quarters have described deportation as the most straightforward solution, he said it is unlikely to succeed unless prosecutors can prove that Co committed crimes before he became a Portuguese citizen. Officials, he said, are expected to outline feasible legal steps in the coming days, although no timetable has been set for bringing home Co. The Marcos administration is under mounting political pressure to act decisively against Co, who has been identified as one of the central figures in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal that has engulfed the government. Co is believed to be staying in Portugal. Earlier, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to pursue diplomatic negotiations with Portugal for Co’s arrest and return, instead of focusing on the more time-consuming process of negotiating a bilateral extradition treaty. De Lima questioned why the administration would consider entering into an extradition agreement with Portugal solely to secure Co’s arrest, arguing that such treaties typically require extensive negotiations and ratification processes. She said deportation could be pursued through diplomatic channels even without a formal extradition treaty, noting that an extradition agreement is not indispensable for the return of a fugitive.