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It’s apparently the wrong “translation” of Malacañang Palace’s communications arm that’s to blame for the confusion over resigned lawmaker-turned-fugitive Zaldy Co’s status even as no less than the country’s top justice official, Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida, has said he has “no specific answer yet” as to Co’s whereabouts.
“Unang-una, kung mapapansin ninyo po, April 16 unang nag-post ang Pangulo ng kanyang mensahe, ‘Nahuli na si Zaldy Co.’ Kapag sinabi nating nahuli na si Zaldy Co, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is an arrest. Ang ‘nahuli’ na salita ay very general. So, kapag nahuli, puwede nating sabihin na napahinto, na-stop, na-prevent sa pagkilos, at hindi mali ang Pangulo sa kanyang inulat noong April 16,” explained Undersecretary Claire Castro, the Palace’s press officer, in a briefing on Monday, April 27.
(First of all, if you noticed, the President’s first post was on April 16, where he said, “Zaldy Co has been caught.” When you say Zaldy Co has been caught, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is an arrest. “Caught” is a very general term. If you’re caught, you may have been asked to stop, preventing further movement, and so the President did not err in his April 16 report.)
Co, former chair of the House appropriations committee and erstwhile ally of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., tops the list of people Malacañang has been trying to track down in relation to the flood control corruption scandal.
Castro was asked to clarify if Marcos had been speaking based on “fully verified information” or initial reports on Co. Marcos himself had revised his statement on Co — from saying on April 16 that Co was caught by authorities in the Czech Republic to clarifying on April 17 that Co was caught trying to enter Germany then was sent back to Prague.
Caught? Intervention? Arrest?
On the surface it seems there’s a difference both in official terminologies and, perhaps, in procedure.
The Czech Republic itself has shied away from using the word “arrest,” with its police confirming to Rappler there was an “intervention” in the case of one Elizaldy Co.
Castro’s explanation did not end there.
“At noong nalaman na ang bansang Czech Republic ay hindi ginagamit ang salitang aresto, at hindi naman ginamit ng Pangulo, at sa ating press briefing sa Iloilo, hindi natin ginamit ang salitang aresto. Kung ginamit man ito ng PCO (Presidential Communications Office) dahil iyon ang kanilang pag-translate, most probably salitang nahuli,” added Castro.
(When it was discovered that the Czech Republic does not use the word “arrest,” which was also not used by the President or in our press briefing in Iloilo, we no longer used the word “arrested.” If the PCO used it, this may have been because it was how they translated the word “caught.”)
Translation and external communications mess aside, the latest hiccup in the almost year-long saga involving Co and the prickly situations with the Palace are also telling of gaps in internal communication.
Repeatedly, during her Monday briefing, Castro said only Vida could provide specifics on Co’s status — if there were any.
The search for the former lawmaker is, understandably, complex.
He had apparently slipped out of the Philippines in mid-2025, or around the time the flood control corruption scandal first came to light. At that time, Co faced no charges and, therefore, could not be barred from leaving the country.
Months later, Co’s Philippine passport was canceled because of pending arrest warrants against him. Simple, right? Think again.
That he’s in the Czech Republic, a country without an extradition treaty with the Philippines, adds a new layer to the issue: a need for diplomacy, which usually happens behind closed doors.
This is where it gets extra sensitive. Castro said the unspoken part out loud: the extra effort to be discreet is in consideration of the Czech Republic’s asks.
‘Confidentiality’ in the case
“Hindi po tayo makakapagbigay dahil kinakailangan po rin natin igalang ang confidentiality at iyan po ang nais ng Czech Republic. So, abangan na lang po natin iyong susunod na balita mula po kay Secretary Vida,” said Castro, when asked if Vida had new information about Co.
(I’m unable to give information because we need to respect confidentiality [of these procedures] and that is what the Czech Republic wants. So let’s just wait for further information from Secretary Vida.)
It’s unclear how involved or not the Philippines’ post in Prague, or the Department of Foreign Affairs was, when Co was “caught.” The DFA, through its communications team, had said on April 16 that it was verifying reports of Co’s supposed arrest. Just minutes later, Marcos made the first “nahuli” announcement.
On Monday, too, on the sidelines of a foreign ministers’ meeting in Brunei, Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro met with the Czech Republic’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Petr Macinka.
“Had discussions on strengthening [bilateral ties], including possible high-level visits,” Lazaro said. She made no mention of Vida’s presence in Prague or the high-level mission he’s leading to track down Co.
There are several unclear variables in Co’s case — officials from the administration have made unverified claims that he holds a Portugese passport. But talk is that he only had a “golden visa,” or a long-term visa that can be acquired through large investments. If that’s the case, then his canceled passport would likely render that golden visa useless.
Has he filed for asylum in the Czech Republic or any other country in Europe? That remains unclear, too.
What is apparent, so far, is that Co, accused of profiting off critical flood control projects, is unlikely to give up without putting up a fight, be it legal or diplomatic. – Rappler.com
