LOCAL Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday said he will coordinate with counterparts in Sweden after receiving news that former lawmaker Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co has traveled to that European country.
Co was earlier believed to be hiding in a gated community in Portugal, where he is a passport holder, but surprised everyone when his camp submitted a petition before the Supreme Court he supposedly signed before a notary public in Stockholm, Sweden, last Jan. 15.
“I am leaving tonight. I’m gonna be making some coordination calls. Maybe you’ll hear from me in the next two weeks,” Remulla told reporters in a chance interview at Camp Crame on the sidelines of the Philippine National Police Day.
Because he is using a foreign passport, Co could make his way from place to place since Europe is a borderless region, he said.
“Now we’re gonna go hard on him. We will have his passport red-flagged. We’re going to get a copy of the passport, and we’ll put it through Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) so that he can’t leave Portugal and, if he leaves, we can catch him,” Remulla said.
Moving around Europe would not be easy for Co since authorities there have been alerted.
“He could not [even] check into hotels since his credit cards here are frozen,” Remulla said.
Since the Philippines has no extradition treaty with Portugal, the country cannot move to extradite him back to the Philippines even if he has a pending case. Portuguese law only allows extradition if a crime was committed before the issuance of the passport, Remulla said.
Co acquired his Portuguese passport more than 10 years ago, but his crimes only broke out recently making negotiations for his return complicated, he said.
Remulla described Co as having a “criminal mind” for coming up with an elaborate escape plan.
Despite having his assets frozen, Remulla said Co was able to bring with him at least an estimated $100 million (roughly equivalent to P5.85 billion) via cryptocurrency.
Remulla earlier reported that Co’s camp had sent feelers for a dialogue with the government. He said he will only be open to talking if Co first restitutes $100 billion.
“He stole it from the people. It should be returned to the people,” he said.
Remulla added that the Anti-Money Laundering Council was already tracking Co’s assets in the Philippines, while authorities were also probing reports that large sums may have been transferred abroad through cryptocurrency.
Despite difficulties in coordinating with foreign jurisdictions, particularly in Europe, Remulla said the government remained determined to capture Co and recover the alleged stolen funds.
“We are working on foreign shores, so resources are limited. But we will get him,” he said. “We will get him soon.”
On Thursday, Malacañang Press Officer Claire Castro said the Palace is coordinating with Remulla in verifying reports that Co appeared before a notary public in Stockholm on Jan. 15.
Co is the subject of an arrest warrant along with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways, and directors of Sunwest Corp., which he owned, over alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
On Nov.18, 2025, the Ombudsman filed charges of corruption and malversation of public funds against Co and others before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the P289-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.
Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. continued to trust government agencies tasked with tracking down fugitives.
“We cannot say that the President is frustrated because he knows that officials leading agencies pursuing fugitives are working in accordance with his directives,” she said.