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Philippines to send team to Czech Republic for deportation of Marcos accuser
President Marcos said he directed the Department of Justice and Department of Foreign Affairs to lead talks with Czech officials to ensure ex-congressman Zaldy Co's return to the Philippines
- PUBLISHED: Mon 20 Apr 2026, 7:32 PM
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Monday that he is sending a “high-level coordination team” to the Czech Republic to oversee the deportation of fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co back to Manila.
In a video statement, Marcos said he directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to lead talks with Czech authorities to ensure Co’s return.
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“We will bring him home. He will answer to the Filipino people,” Marcos declared.
The president’s announcement came as an independent confirmation was obtained by Philippine media outfit Rappler from Czech authorities. The Police Presidium of the Czech Republic in a letter to Rappler said Co was the subject of an “intervention,” or an official law enforcement action in their country.
Philippine Interior and Local Government secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier revealed that Co attempted to enter Germany from the Czech Republic without legal travel papers last April 16.
The DFA invalidated Co’s passport since he refused to return home to face charges involving “ghost flood control projects” worth hundreds of millions of pesos.
In video messages, Co later accused Marcos of masterminding budget insertions worth billions of pesos. He claimed that he ordered the delivery of one billion pesos to Marcos subordinates as “presidential kickback.”
Marcos denied Co’s allegations.
As congressman, Co was previously allied with both the Marcos and the camp of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
As eventual chairperson of the powerful Committee of Appropriations of the House of Representatives from 2022 to 2025, Co admitted to budget insertion and allocations for allies of both the Duterte and Marcos governments.