MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Tuesday he will travel to Lyon, France to follow up with Interpol on the Philippines' request for a red notice against former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, who remains outside the country despite a new arrest warrant issued against him.
Remulla said he would personally coordinate with Interpol as the government steps up efforts to locate and bring Co back to the Philippines.
He said Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla would also travel to Paris to coordinate with authorities there as part of separate efforts to secure Co's return.
“I will work with Interpol. He will work with the diplomatic efforts to get Zaldy Co,” Remulla said.
The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Monday issued a warrant of arrest against Co, former speaker Martin Romualdez and two other accused in a P7.44-billion plunder case involving alleged kickbacks from flood control and other government projects. The court also issued hold-departure orders against the four accused.
Co has been outside the Philippines since 2025 and has been declared a fugitive in connection with an earlier case. He was detained briefly in the Czech Republic in April after he was stopped at the German border for allegedly having invalid travel documents, before being released following immigration proceedings. He later surfaced in France, where Philippine authorities said he was seeking asylum.
A red notice is a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar legal action.
Remulla said authorities would continue pursuing Co and the other accused.
