Following the January 8 seizure of eight luxury vehicles from a Bonifacio Global City condominium, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) denied claims of forcibly taking keys to 34 cars linked to former Rep. Elizaldy 'Zaldy' Co. Officials emphasized that all actions followed legal procedures amid probes into flood control project irregularities.
The denial came during a January 13 press conference, countering accusations from Co's lawyer, Ruy Rondain, who claimed authorities confiscated 34 vehicle keys on direct orders, citing a Land Transportation Office 'alarm' notice.
ICI special adviser Rodolfo Azurin rejected the forcible key seizure allegation, stating, "Unang una, 'pag titignan mo, hindi kami ang kumuha ng susi" ("First of all, if you look at it, we were not the ones who took the keys"). He noted it was implausible for one person to hold 34 keys and revealed that while ICI initially had leads on 15 vehicles, Co's counsel's mention of 34 prompted a review for additional units beyond existing search warrants. "So ibig sabihin, kulang pa pala 'yung inapplyan namin search warrant, may additional pa pala na magtototal ng 34 na hahanapin pa pala namin," Azurin added ("So it turns out the search warrant we applied for was still incomplete; there are additional cars, bringing the total to 34 that we still need to look for").
Recapping the initial action, BOC seized eight of nine luxury vehicles registered to Co, his wife, and Sunwest Inc. on January 8 at a Taguig condominium over alleged import violations and unpaid duties. BOC Deputy Chief of Staff Chris Noel Bendijo affirmed the operation was documented via body cameras, with search warrants provided and signed by owners' representatives. "So clearly, our implementation of the search warrant was above board," Bendijo said.
Co faces graft charges from the Sandiganbayan related to anomalous flood control projects.
