Zaldy Co firms tried to deregister choppers amid corruption allegations - Dizon

Metro Manila, Philippines - Companies linked to Zaldy Co tried to deregister a number of air assets amid corruption allegations hounding the resigned lawmaker, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said.

In an interview on Tuesday, Sept. 30, Dizon said he received a report from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) that firms connected to the former House appropriations chairman attempted to remove three choppers from official registry.

The DPWH earlier asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council to act on the P4.7 billion worth of air assets linked to Co, registered under the Misibis Aviation and Development Corp., and Hi Tone Construction Development Corp.

This covers $74.7 million or nearly P4.3 billion for Misibis vehicles and $7.9 million or over P457 million for Hi Tone.

Hi Tone is one of the 15 contractors named by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the firms that cornered the most number of flood control projects in the last three years.

“Ang pagkakasabi sa akin ng CAAP kay iyon idine-deregister ay may plano silang ibenta dahil hindi mo maibebenta at mabibili ng gustong bumili nun kung hindi registered sa Pilipinas,” Dizon said.

[Translation: According to what CAAP told me, the companies wanted to deregister it because they plan to sell it, since you can't sell or buy it if it's not registered in the Philippines.]

Dizon said his agency was able to avert this, citing CAAP’s standing order that the vehicles linked to Co cannot be deregistered.

The secretary added that the government is committed to freeze Co’s assets even though he refuses to return to the country.

“Kahit hindi umuwi si Congressman Zaldy co, we will go after all these assets. Ngayon na nag-file na ang ICI sa Ombudsman, we will ask the freezing of all of his assets, bank accounts, real property, air assets, potential sea assets, land assets, mga sasakyan. Lahat iyon kailangan habulin,” Dizon said.

[Translation: Even if Congressman Zaldy Co. doesn’t return home, we will go after all these assets. Now that the ICI has already filed with the Ombudsman, we will ask for the freezing of all his assets, bank accounts, real property, air assets, possible sea assets, land assets, vehicles. All of those must be pursued.]

Co stepped down as House member on Monday, Sept. 29, the day where he was ordered to return to the country.

He has so far denied the accusations implicating him into multi-million peso pocketing of public funds.