President Marcos Says Zaldy Co’s Passport Will Be Canceled Once Charges Are Filed

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. vowed on Thursday that the government will cancel the passport of resigned Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co as soon as formal charges are filed against him over the alleged multibillion-peso “ghost” flood control projects.

“Hindi pa nasasampahan ng kaso, kaya hindi pa puwedeng kanselahin ang passport niya,” Marcos said. “But once the cases are filed, we will immediately cancel his passport.”

Co, who is currently abroad, earlier claimed through his lawyer Ruy Rondain that he will only return to the Philippines once he no longer fears for his life.

Marcos stressed that passport cancellation follows due process. “You need legal grounds—and those will come from the cases filed against him,” he said.

When asked if Co could turn into a state witness, Marcos declined to speculate. “That option is always there, except for those who are the most guilty,” he said. “Let the courts and judges do their work.”

Romualdez “Not Yet” Included in Those Facing Charges

Marcos also clarified that Leyte Representative and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez has not yet been included in the list of lawmakers who may face charges in the flood control scandal.

“The only evidence against him is in the Senate… not as yet,” the President said. “If something else comes out, then he might have to answer for it.”

The clarification came after Marcos confirmed that 37 individuals—including lawmakers, DPWH officials, and contractors—were recommended for charges by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and endorsed to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Marcos insisted that his administration does not file cases for drama or publicity. “We don’t file cases for optics. We file cases to put people in jail or make them answer,” he said. “If there are suggestions on who else should be charged, then provide the evidence.”

Romualdez was linked to the alleged anomalies after contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya accused him of receiving a 30 percent kickback from public works projects.

Former Marine serviceman Orly Guteza also told the Senate that he personally delivered bags containing millions of pesos to both Romualdez and Co.

Adding to the tension, Senator Imee Marcos revealed that Romualdez backed out as a supposed “star witness” in the upcoming Blue Ribbon Committee hearing scheduled for November 14.