On Friday, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said it had asked Interpol to put out a red notice for Zaldy Co., a former member of the Ako Bicol Party-List. A red notice tells police all across the world to help discover and hold a wanted person until legal steps like extradition may be taken.
Atty. Palmer Mallari, a representative for the NBI, said that the request was sent in last month. He said in a message that the NBI sent the request on November 23.
Three parts of the Sandiganbayan have issued arrest warrants, which led to this action. The warrants were issued for Co and 15 other people who are thought to have been involved in problems with a flood control project. The authorities believe the investigation has to do with the improper use of public money and suspected wrongdoing in carrying out the project.
Mallari said that the NBI worked with the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime to make the request. This facility is the country’s link to Interpol, which helps the government submit and receive requests for help from other countries’ law enforcement.
The goal of the red notice request is to make it harder for Co to leave the Philippines and avoid arrest. If allowed, police in several nations can help find him.
The NBI said it will keep working with offices in the US and throughout the world to carry the investigation forward. The Sandiganbayan hasn’t offered any more details yet, but officials stress that these steps are part of making sure that the people engaged in the matter go through the right legal process.
