Elizaldy Co, a former Philippine MP, was arrested in central Prague in the Czech Republic after fleeing a corruption case involving a flood control project worth over 70 billion baht. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is urgently coordinating efforts to repatriate him despite the lack of an extradition treaty with the Czech Republic.
Philippine authorities issued a statement confirming the arrest of Elizaldy Co, a former member of the House of Representatives and a key suspect in a massive corruption case. He was detained in the Czech Republic after evading the country for several months.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. revealed that Co was apprehended by officials in Prague after attempting to cross the border without "valid identification documents," as the Philippine government had revoked his passport since December. Authorities have also coordinated with Interpol to issue a global red notice for his arrest.
The case originated from a major flood disaster last year that caused widespread damage nationwide, prompting an investigation that uncovered irregularities in the flood control project. It was found that funds were disbursed to a "fictitious project" with no real construction over several years, resulting in economic losses estimated at 2 billion U.S. dollars (approximately 72 billion baht). Co is accused of receiving large bribes from these projects.
Co resigned from his MP position in September last year before fleeing abroad in July 2025. While on the run, he released videos alleging that President Marcos Jr. was behind the scheme. However, the Philippine leader strongly denied these claims, stating that he was the one who exposed the corruption to the public.
Besides Co, several other high-ranking politicians have been implicated, including a former House Speaker who is a cousin of Marcos, and a former Senate President recently removed from office due to links with the project contractors.
Although the Philippines does not have an extradition treaty with the Czech Republic, Interior Minister John Vic Remulla said both governments are working closely together. It is expected that Co could be brought back to the Philippines to face trial within 1 to 3 weeks.
The Philippines faces an average of 20 typhoons and storms annually. Corruption in natural disaster prevention budgets is a sensitive issue that has greatly angered the public, especially after Typhoon Kalmaegi in November 2025, which killed at least 85 people on Cebu Island due to failed flood control systems.
. SourceINQUIRER.net