Palace: No contradiction in Co’s Prague detention

(UPDATE) MALACAÑANG on Friday maintained there was no contradiction in the pronouncements of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other Philippine officials regarding the detention of former lawmaker Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co in the Czech Republic. In a statement, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Co was apprehended due to immigration concerns, and that the word “arrest” did not come from the president. “The President and Secretary of Justice Fredderick Vida were clear in their statements. There is no contradiction,” Castro said. “What the President said was that Zaldy Co is in the custody of the Czech Republic due to a lack of proper documentation. Zaldy Co was apprehended due to immigration concerns,” she said. Quoting Justice spokesman Polo Martinez, Castro said “Co’s liberty was indeed restrained due to lack of proper documentation.” She said “it’s similar to a situation in the airport where the person arrives and immigration denies entry or excludes the person.” “There is a deprivation of liberty to a certain degree. Apprehended due to immigration concerns,” Castro said. On April 16, Marcos announced that Co was apprehended in Prague, the Czech Republic capital, after allegedly crossing the border without the required documents. He has since been under the custody of Czech authorities. On Thursday, Vida and Chief State Counsel Dennis Chan left for Prague to discuss with Czech authorities the possible return of Co. The Department of Justice has said it was considering deportation, extradition or invoking the United Nations Convention Against Corruption — to which both the Philippines and the Czech Republic are signatories — as options to facilitate Co’s return. Co has been charged with malversation of public funds and graft in connection with a P289.5-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro. His whereabouts have been unclear since he left the country in July last year, supposedly for medical treatment in the United States. In September, his travel authority was revoked, and he was ordered to return after he was implicated in budget insertions and anomalous flood control projects. He later resigned as Ako Bicol Party-list representative.

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