By Rene Samaniego
MANILA – The government is pressing ahead with efforts to locate former lawmaker Zaldy Co and other individuals wanted in connection with alleged irregularities in flood control projects, Malacañang said Friday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said authorities are working closely with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to monitor Co’s possible whereabouts abroad.
Castro explained that a formal request for Interpol’s cooperation has already been submitted, although officials have yet to receive an update on its status. She appealed for public understanding, noting that coordination with international agencies takes time.
She assured that the administration remains committed to running after those implicated in the controversy, particularly individuals believed to be evading arrest.
According to Castro, several complaints tied to the questioned flood control projects have either been filed or are being readied for filing. While some suspects are still at large, she said law enforcement authorities have already arrested a number of individuals and recovered portions of the alleged kickbacks, which have since been remitted to the national treasury.
Castro added that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will allow agencies such as the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman to handle the legal proceedings related to the case.
In the meantime, she emphasized that the President remains focused on sustaining economic growth and strengthening the country’s development agenda.
