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Jose Rodel Clapano - The Philippine Star
January 11, 2026 | 12:00am
Eight luxury vehicles linked to former congressman Zaldy Co through various corporations and individuals are seen parked at the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) compound in Taguig City on January 9, 2026
STAR / Miguel De Guzman
MANILA, Philippines — The seizure of vehicles linked to former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co was illegal, according to his counsel Ruy Rondain.
In an interview with ANC on Friday, Rondain said police officers illegally stopped and searched the vehicles, forcibly took their keys and intimidated and detained the drivers.
“That’s illegal. Number one, they illegally stopped and searched the client’s cars. Then, they took the keys, I think of 34 cars by force. They intimidated the driver of the client. Then they detained the drivers for over 12 hours,” Rondain said.
He said Co’s camp is considering filing criminal complaints against police officials over the alleged illegal and abusive seizure of vehicles linked to Co and Sunwest Construction and Development Corp.
He clarified that he was referring to vehicles allegedly seized by the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG), which are separate from the eight vehicles covered by a search warrant obtained by the Bureau of Customs.
Co, who is facing three counts of graft and malversation of public funds over an alleged substandard P289-million road flood control project in Oriental Mindoro, remains in hiding abroad.
In a separate interview with Super Radyo dzBB, Rondain revealed that the vehicles were taken without a search warrant.
“They got these vehicles forcibly without a search warrant. 34 vehicles. I asked them why, they said the LTO placed it under an alarm for being a hot car, meaning ninakaw. Who reported that it was stolen? The owner? We are the owner of that though? The companies and my personal clients,” he said in Filipino and English.
“Is that allowed? That is really abuse. They should brace themselves for criminal complaints. I asked on what authority the vehicles were seized and was told they were ordered to do so. Is that OK?” he added.
Rondain said the manner in which the vehicles were seized could give rise to serious cases.
The PNP-HPG, however, maintained that the seizure was a purely law enforcement operation.
