Zaldy Co may face Sandiganbayan case next month

Metro Manila, Philippines - The first batch of cases related to the flood control scandal may be filed with the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan next month, and resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co may be among the respondents, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said.

“Malamang kasama kasi ang naalala ko merong Mindoro case na kasama sa mga ifinile sa amin,” Remulla told reporters on Friday, Oct. 24.

[Translation: He will most likely be included because as I recall there’s a Mindoro case filed with us.]

Once the case is filed, Remulla said Co’s passport may finally be canceled. Co has been abroad since the corruption scandal broke and has yet to return to the country despite an order from the House of Representatives, which eventually led to his resignation.

Testimonies in congressional hearings have accused Co of making budget insertions and receiving kickbacks from alleged anomalous flood control projects, with Mindoro among the areas under advanced investigation — accusations he has repeatedly denied.

Remulla said other members of the House of Representatives may also face Sandiganbayan cases in the next 30 days, though he is unsure if any senator will be included.

He added that the Office of the Ombudsman is reviewing eight to 10 cases that it hopes to file with the Sandiganbayan soon. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is expected to file five cases involving ghost flood control projects with regional trial courts on Monday, Remulla said.

Remulla made the remarks during the Senate finance committee hearing on his agency’s proposed ₱6.39-billion budget for next year, which was approved in a little over an hour.

Panel chairman Sen. Win Gatchalian asked about former Ombudsman Samuel Martires’ earlier statement that filing cases with the Sandiganbayan typically takes two to three years.

“Hindi na po tayo aabot sa ganung kahaba [We won’t take that long],” Remulla said, adding that he has implemented reforms to speed up the process - including shortening the preliminary investigation phase from one year to only 60 days.