Rep. Elizaldy Co
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) will request Interpol to issue a blue notice for Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, who is implicated in alleged kickbacks and budget insertions related to flood control projects, according to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.
“Latest from DOJ… they will request a blue notice,” Castro informed reporters on Friday. A blue notice, issued by Interpol, is used to gather additional information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in connection with a criminal investigation.
DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano confirmed that Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla has instructed the agency to apply for the blue notice. “This is based on the investigation of the Blue Ribbon Committee as well as the NBI recommendation to prosecute,” Clavano stated.
Rep. Co has been repeatedly linked to kickbacks from allocations for allegedly ghost and substandard flood control projects during Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings.
Former Bulacan 1st assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez testified earlier this week that he delivered an estimated P1 billion in cash, packed into over 20 suitcases, to a staffer of Rep. Co at a hotel in Taguig City.
Hernandez claimed that the money, transported in six or seven vans, was divided into suitcases containing approximately P50 million each.
The issuance of a blue notice suggests a significant escalation in the investigation and could assist authorities in locating and potentially questioning Rep. Co, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.
