April 28, 2026
MANILA – Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida confirmed that former Rep. Zaldy Co is no longer in the custody of the Czech Republic.
“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 explained that Co was indeed accosted on April 16 due to immigration violations but was subsequently released.
When was he released? 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 2p.m. Czech time),” he added.
Although the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant for Co’s arrest and was declared a fugitive, Vida admitted that in Europe, Co is free.
“Yes he is free,” he said, yet remains confident that the authorities will again catch Co because “his world is getting smaller.”
Currently, Vida said there is a “workable intel” suggesting that Co is still within the Schengen area, a zone composed of 29 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and other types of border control at their mutual borders.
Vida said Co is carrying an expired passport (expired Sept. 11, 2022) when he was first accosted by the Czech authorities on April 16.
The DOJ Secretary said Co was issued three different passports: 1. an official passport issued when he was a congressman; 2. a current passport that was already canceled by the Sandiganbayan, and 3. the expired 2022 passport.
However, Vida admitted that despite the lack of a passport, Co has managed to cross borders because physical inspections are rare at land borders within the Schengen zone, unlike at airports.
“What we can confirm is that he is within the Schengen area,” the secretary explained.
“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 said.
The Philippine authorities, however, declined to give further details because there is an active 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.
The Czech Republic shares the closest land borders with Germany, Austria, Poland, and Slovakia. /cb /mr