MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday clarified that the government cannot yet cancel the passport of former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co because prosecutors have not formally filed criminal charges against him — but vowed that the move will be made “immediately” once cases reach court.
Marcos stressed that the administration is following the limits of the law despite mounting public criticism over why Co — tagged in the alleged multimillion-peso kickback scheme in flood control projects — continues to travel abroad.
“I think that is best directed at lawyers because that is a legal answer. The legal answer is because hindi pa nasampahan ng kaso, therefore the request for cancellation of passport cannot yet be made,” Marcos said. “However, when the time comes, we will immediately cancel his passport.”
Co resigned from Congress in September after being implicated in irregular flood management contracts. He has remained overseas since, claiming through his lawyers that he faces “credible threats” to his safety should he return home.
Under Republic Act 11983 or the New Philippine Passport Act, passports may be canceled only under specific conditions — such as fraud, tampering, erroneous issuance, or by court order following conviction or a judicial finding that the holder is a fugitive.
The former legislator is among several officials and private contractors facing multiple complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman. The Department of Public Works and Highways, the Commission on Audit, and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) have filed allegations of ghost projects, falsified procurement, and systemic misuse of flood control funds.
Marcos said state lawyers are in the final stages of building airtight cases and expressed confidence that “those responsible” will be behind bars soon.
The ICI, which Marcos created to fast-track investigations into the alleged multibillion-peso flood control scam, was first announced in his 2025 State of the Nation Address./PN
