Philippines’ Marcos orders arrest of Zaldy Co, 17 others in flood control scandal
‘The wheels of justice are turning,’ the Philippine president said when announcing that an arrest warrant has gone out against Co and others
The move marks the first major enforcement action since authorities began probing so-called “ghost” flood control projects, referring to substandard or non-existent works now at the centre of a sprawling corruption scandal.
Marcos announced the development in a video posted to his social media accounts on Friday, saying the warrants covered Co – the former House appropriations committee chair – as well as officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and executives of Sunwest Corporation, a construction firm Co co-founded.
“There is already a warrant of arrest against Zaldy Co and 17 others for DPWH and Sunwest Corporation,” Marcos said, urging law enforcement agencies to act swiftly. “Arrest them. Make sure that this will be enforced fast and correctly. The wheels of justice are turning.”
The president added that he had directed the DPWH and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to turn over all documents related to alleged irregularities involving Co and former House speaker Martin Romualdez to the Office of the Ombudsman.