Philippine president says key suspect in flood defence corruption scandal arrested in Prague

Published on 17/04/2026 - 11:25 GMT+2

A erstwhile Philippine congressman who fled the state and had his passport cancelled aft being charged successful a corruption ungraded implicit flood power projects has been detained successful the Czech Republic, President Ferdinand Marcos said connected Friday.

The alleged crime, believed to person outgo taxpayers billions of dollars, sparked protests and arrests crossed the storm-battered archipelago, which was deed by hundreds of floods past twelvemonth unsocial according to United Nations data.

Elizaldy Co was charged alongside a fig of nationalist works officials and operation steadfast owners successful November, accused of violating the country's anti-graft instrumentality implicit a flood power task successful the cardinal Philippines.

"Co was stopped astatine the German borderline aft entering from the Czech Republic," Marcos said successful an update posted connected X connected Friday.

"He was denied introduction and returned to Czech authorities, wherever helium remains successful custody."

In an earlier station connected Facebook, Marcos said Co was detained successful Prague "after crossing into the Czech Republic without due documentation".

Manila was "in adjacent coordination with the Czech authorities to guarantee that each ineligible processes are followed and to put for his instrumentality to the Philippines astatine the soonest imaginable time."

The Philippines has nary extradition pact with the Czech Republic and Marcos did not accidental however his authorities would question the custody of Co.

Co, who discontinue the House of Representatives successful September amid the scandal, aboriginal went into hiding and began releasing videos helium said proved Marcos himself was the mastermind down the corruption.

The authorities cancelled Co's passport successful December.

Officials pledged the charges against Co would beryllium the "first of galore cases brought," arsenic authorities prosecutors person yet to bring charges against different senators and congressmen implicated successful the scam.

A peculiar committee formed by Marcos successful September has since been disbanded, with the president saying that "much of their enactment has already been done."

At slightest 9,855 flood power projects worthy much than 545 cardinal pesos (€7.6 billion) that were expected to person been undertaken since Marcos took bureau successful mid-2022 came nether scrutiny. Many were recovered to beryllium substandard, overpriced oregon were not built astatine all.

In September, past Finance Secretary Ralph Recto told a legislature proceeding that up to 118.5 cardinal pesos (€1.7 billion) intended for flood power projects whitethorn person been mislaid to corruption since 2023.

Marcos has consistently denied immoderate transportation to the scandal, noting it was helium who brought the contented centre authorities successful a nationalist address.

The standard of the anomalies and quality reports that showed the lavish lifestyles and fleets of costly European cars of immoderate of the suspects sparked immense anti-corruption protests past twelvemonth successful a state wherever millions inactive unrecorded successful poverty.

Additional sources • AP, AFP