Zaldy Co

Elizaldy "Zaldy" Co, a former Ako Bicol party-list representative and House appropriations committee chair, is currently a fugitive facing multiple criminal charges in the Philippines. In November 2025, the Office of the Ombudsman filed graft, malversation, and falsification charges against Co before the Sandiganbayan regarding a P289.5 million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, implemented by Sunwest Incorporated, a firm founded by his family. Evidence presented by the Commission on Audit noted the project was constructed using substandard materials, with an P84 million notice of disallowance issued. Co faces additional scrutiny regarding: - Alleged kickback schemes involving 20% to 25% of project costs for infrastructure contracts. - Claims by former DPWH officials that he directed billions in project allocations. - Allegations of manipulating the 2025 national budget with P100 billion in insertions. - An Anti-Money Laundering Council allegation that he received P802 million through Sunwest account deposits between 2019 and 2025. In March 2026, the Sandiganbayan ordered the seizure of 16 properties valued at over P215 million to secure potential civil liability. Co resigned from the House on September 29, 2025, after defying orders to return to the Philippines to face investigations. Following his arrest in the Czech Republic in April 2026, authorities reported he is no longer in their custody and remains at large. Co has consistently denied all allegations, claiming his divestment from Sunwest in 2019 and citing threats to his safety.