Screengrab from Zaldy Co

MANILA — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has instructed government agencies to pursue an extradition treaty with Portugal to facilitate the arrest and return of former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Tuesday.

Authorities believe Co is currently in Portugal and may hold a Portuguese passport.

“Nagbigay ng instruction si President na formally mag-apply kami ng extradition treaty sa kanila, kahit wala pang formal extradition treaties between the two countries,” Remulla said.

He added that the government would also request Co’s repatriation through Interpol if he is indeed in Portugal. “Pero through the Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization), magre-request na kami ng repatriation ni Zaldy Co kung nasa Portugal talaga siya,” he said.

Co, who chaired the House Committee on Appropriations from 2022 to 2025, faces an arrest warrant over an alleged P289.5-million anomalous flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

Remulla noted that formal extradition treaties can take years to finalize. “It will take too long, eh. A treaty takes years and years so the other avenues possible is pag-aralan kung paano namin, natin magagawa ang extradition niya without passing through a treaty,” he said.

The DILG chief assured that the government is committed to exploring all possible ways to bring Co back to the Philippines. “We will look for all possible means to repatriate Zaldy Co to the Philippines,” he added.