Former lawmaker Zaldy Co will be turned over first to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group before the Sandiganbayan upon his arrival in the Philippines, the Philippine National Police said. No exact return date has been set from his detention in Prague, Czech Republic. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed support for agency coordination.
At a press briefing on Monday, April 20, Philippine National Police spokesperson Randulf Tuaño said Zaldy Co remains in the custody of Czech Republic authorities.
Upon arrival in the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs will hand him over to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for medical and booking procedures. He will then be transferred to the Sandiganbayan to determine his detention facility.
"The Philippine National Police is ready when he arrives in the Philippines," Tuaño said.
In a video message, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he instructed the Department of Justice and the Department of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with Czech authorities. On April 16, Marcos announced Co was detained in Prague after crossing the border without proper documentation. Co had been in hiding since mid-2025 following a November 2025 arrest warrant related to a P289.5-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.
