# Philippine authorities move to arrest Zaldy Co in Czech Republic corruption case
Standfirst: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says former lawmaker Zaldy Co has been arrested in Prague, as investigators widen a flood-control corruption probe that has shaken Philippine politics.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on 2026-04-16 that former legislator Zaldy Co had been arrested in Prague and that officials were coordinating with the Czech government to secure his return, adding another turn to a corruption scandal that has already forced major political figures to step aside.
According to the evidence packet, Co was detained after crossing into the Czech Republic without proper documentation. Marcos did not explain the legal process that might bring him home, and the Philippines has no extradition treaty with the Czech Republic, so the repatriation effort is not straightforward. Officials said they were working through legal channels and would seek international help if needed.
The scandal itself is rooted in alleged irregularities in flood control projects. Co resigned from the House of Representatives in September after being implicated in financial anomalies tied to public works spending. He is one of several powerful figures accused of pocketing kickbacks from projects in a country that is repeatedly battered by floods and typhoons, making the allegations politically explosive as well as financially damaging.
The scale is large. The evidence says 9,855 flood control projects worth more than 545 billion pesos, or about $9 billion, have come under scrutiny since Marcos took office in mid-2022. Many of those projects were found to be substandard, overpriced or not built at all. That figure suggests the problem is not limited to a single contract but spans a broad set of public-works decisions.
The case has already led to protests and political fallout. Several lawmakers and executives have denied wrongdoing while remaining under investigation, and some have been forced from office. Marcos has tried to frame the scandal as a test of accountability, saying there would be no special treatment. At the same time, critics have pointed to the size of the alleged losses and the public anger that followed news reports about the suspects’ lifestyles and vehicles.
What is verified in this packet is that Co was arrested in Prague, the government is trying to bring him back, and the corruption investigation continues to widen. The evidence does not say when he will be returned or whether Czech authorities will cooperate, but it does show the case has reached an international phase.
