THE Sandiganbayan Seventh Division said it has archived the graft case against former Ako Bicol Party-list representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, citing the absence of the fugitive lawmaker for the past six months.
In a resolution dated June 24, the division, chaired by Associate Justice Lorifel Pahimna, said that the National Bureau of Investigation, which has been tasked to issue Co’s warrant of arrest, noted that the accused could not be located at the address that was indicated in the warrant.
It added that the prosecution has manifested that it has no additional address for Co that it could provide to the court, other than those appearing on the record.
”In view thereof, and considering that the Court has yet to acquire jurisdiction over the person of accused Co., let this case be archived and the record therefore forwarded to the Judicial Records Section without prejudice to the reinstatement or revival of the case and its withdrawal from the archives upon the such time as the Court acquires jurisdiction over his person,” the Sandiganbayan said.
Co has been wanted by authorities since last year for his alleged involvement in the flood control scam.
He appeared in separate video messages accusing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former speaker Martin Romualdez of involvement in the flood control scam.
In an earlier resolution, the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division denied the motion of Co’s co-accused to file demurrers to evidence — a motion to dismiss the case in the middle of the trial — in the malversation through falsification case in connection with an anomalous road dike project in Oriental Mindoro.
