Palace: Zaldy Co seeking asylum in France for ‘political persecution’

MANILA, Philippines — Fugitive Zaldy Co is seeking political asylum in France on the grounds of “political persecution,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said on Tuesday.

She also confirmed that the resigned Ako Bicol party-list representative is no longer in the Czech Republic. 

“The DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs] has received highly reliable information that Zaldy Co has a pending petition for political asylum in France,” Castro said in a press briefing. 

“He has been requested to be transferred to and is now under the jurisdiction of French authorities,” she noted.

Castro also said, “All missions in Europe have been instructed to obtain further official confirmation.”

The Palace official likewise noted that Co has not committed any violation in France and that his transfer was carried out upon the request of French authorities in relation to his pending asylum application.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will also not interfere with the French government’s decision on Co’s asylum application, Castro added.

Unlike in the Czech Republic, where Co was held in custody for trying to cross the German border without proper documentation, Castro said the former lawmaker is now free to move within the Schengen Area, where he currently holds a visa.

“I asked Foreign Affairs Secretary Tess Lazaro earlier, and she told us that he [Co] could travel around not only in France,” Castro said.

Castro declined to disclose Co’s exact location to avoid disrupting government efforts.

Marcos disappointed, summons European envoys

At the same briefing, Castro said Marcos was “disappointed” upon learning that Co is no longer in Czech custody.

It was Justice Secretary Frederick Vida who earlier announced in Prague that Co was once again free roaming in Europe.

“We spoke with the President himself today, and he said he is disappointed because we were already close to bringing Zaldy Co back home,” she said.

“BHowever, since other countries are involved, and it appears that the only violation attributed to him is the use of invalid documentation, it will be the Czech Republic that will decide what action to take regarding Zaldy Co,” she also said.

READ: Palace: Marcos summons French, Czech envoys over fugitive Zaldy Co

Castro further said that Marcos has summoned French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel and Czech Republic Ambassador to the Philippines Karel Hejč for a meeting in Malacañang on April 29 to discuss possible lapses and measures to help bring Co back to the Philippines.

Part of the discussion will focus on what other countries can do to assist the Philippines, in line with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, of which all three countries are member states.

“So, the case that Zaldy Co is facing involves malversation. The president will simply look into what more should have been done, because as far as we know — and as far as the president knows — everything that needed to be done has already been done,” she said.

Co is facing criminal charges as one of the central figures in the public works corruption scandal. In November, the Sandiganbayan antigraft court issued a warrant for his arrest and later ordered his passport canceled as he remained a fugitive. /apl /das