Marcos: Zaldy Co stopped at German border, returned to Czech Republic

[Updated April 17, 2026, 9:31 a.m.]

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said that fugitive Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co was held at the German border after crossing in from the Czech Republic, where he was refused entry for lacking proper documents.

In a social media post, Marcos said the Philippine government remains in coordination with the Czech government.

“The latest information confirms that Zaldy Co was stopped at the German border after entering from the Czech Republic. He was denied entry and returned to Czech authorities, where he remains in custody,” he added.

READ: Marcos: Zaldy Co’s passport cancelled

On Thursday evening, Marcos announced Co’s detention in Prague after he crossed into the Czech Republic without sufficient documents and is currently in the custody of Czech authorities.

“We are in close coordination with the Czech government to ensure that all legal processes are followed and to arrange for his return to the Philippines at the soonest possible time. We will keep the public informed as developments unfold,” he said.

Co is considered to be among the alleged masterminds of the trillion-peso flood control and infrastructure anomalies in 2025. His whereabouts have been unclear since he left the country in July last year, supposedly for medical reasons.

The Department of Foreign Affairs canceled Co’s Philippine passport in December 2025, on orders of the Sandiganbayan, which had issued an arrest warrant for him in connection with a corruption case, and in compliance with Republic Act No. 8239, or the Philippine Passport Act of 1996.

The arrest warrant was intended to force him to either return to the Philippines on his own or to be arrested by foreign authorities and deported to the country to face the cases against him in relation to the public works corruption scandal.

The former lawmaker faces graft and malversation charges tied to the flood control controversy. Investigators alleged that the Naujan project was grossly substandard and was covered up by false certifications that allowed payments to the contractor. /mr