💸 MARCOS JR. DECLARES WAR ON ‘GHOST PROJECTS’ TYCOON ZALDY CO: HUNT FOR THE ‘STOLEN’ PRIVATE JETS! PRESIDENT SAYS: YOU CAN’T OUTRUN THE REPUBLIC! ✈️

THE PRESIDENT’S FURY: FREEZE ORDER ON AIR ASSETS

In a scathing public address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. drew a line in the sand against those implicated in the multi-billion-peso Flood Control Projects Anomaly, singling out former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co. The President’s message was a direct, chilling warning: “You cannot steal from Filipino people and expect to hide or fly away on your private jets. You have the money to run but you cannot outrun the Republic of the Philippines.”

The intensity of the investigation has now escalated into an international asset hunt. President Marcos Jr. confirmed he has issued direct orders to the Department of Transportation (DOTR) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to coordinate with authorities in Malaysia and Singapore.

The mission? To seize the high-value air assets—helicopters and airplanes—believed to be owned by Co’s company, Misb Aviation and Development Corporation, and currently harbored abroad.

“These aircraft must not be at Co’s disposal,” the President declared, confirming that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has already issued a freeze order. “You cannot use assets stolen from the nation’s treasury to escape or evade the law.”

The freeze order is comprehensive, banning all movement or disposition of the aircraft, turning the planes from symbols of luxury into instruments of evidence in a massive, ongoing fraud investigation.

THE WARNING SHOT: ‘YOU ARE NOT TOURISTS’

President Marcos Jr.’s message to all “fugitives” and “perpetrators” hiding from justice was unequivocal and laced with a powerful sense of national authority:

“So to you fugitives, go home. My advice to you is you are no longer tourists. The law is chasing you.”

This statement underscores a government determined to utilize all diplomatic, legal, and financial tools available to bring those who looted the treasury back to face accountability. The manhunt is not just for individuals; it is a global pursuit for the assets they acquired using money intended for the Filipino people.

A TALE OF TWO CULPRITS: THE RETURN OF LOOTED FUNDS

Amidst the hunt for Zaldy Co, the President highlighted a major win for the government’s recovery efforts: the cooperation and restitution made by former DPWH Engineer Henry Alcantara.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed a staggering development:

Initial Restitution: Alcantara has already returned PHP 110 million to the government.

Future Commitment: Within two weeks, Alcantara is slated to return an additional PHP 200 million.

This massive recovery effort serves as both a sign of success for the government and a chilling precedent for those still hiding. It confirms that the government’s aim is not just incarceration, but the full financial recovery of every peso stolen.

“This government intends to bring back every peso, every asset, every person responsible and return it to the Filipino people,” the President affirmed.

THE BLACKMAIL PLOT AND THE FIRST LADY’S SILENCE

The investigation is further complicated by a dramatic claim from the Palace: that Zaldy Co’s camp attempted to blackmail the President. The alleged offer? Co would stop releasing damning video statements if the government guaranteed his passport would not be canceled.

While Co’s legal council, Atty. Roy Rondain, denied any negotiation, the Palace stood by the President’s assertion: “The President has his basis when he said those statements.” This revelation suggests an intense, high-stakes negotiation occurring in the shadows, where the integrity of the state is being challenged by a desperate fugitive.

Adding to the complexity, the fugitive Co attempted to drag the First Lady, Liza Araneta Marcos, into the scandal by linking her to agricultural smuggling. Palace Press Officer Atty. Yuse Claire Castro dismissed this move with disdain:

“We know the First Lady and how she reacts to this kind of negative news, to baseless stories. The First Lady will just shrug it off,” Castro stated. “She knows the truth.”

The First Lady’s response—or lack thereof—is a calculated political maneuver, designed to deny Co the credibility he seeks by attacking the family. She chooses silence, letting the overwhelming evidence and the President’s actions speak for themselves.

CONCLUSION: THE CHASE IS ON

The saga of the Flood Control Projects Anomaly is now a gripping international thriller. The President has transformed the pursuit of the fugitives into a public declaration of national will, making it clear that stolen wealth, even in the form of private jets registered in foreign countries, offers no sanctuary.

The cooperation of Alcantara and the massive return of funds offer a blueprint for justice. But the dramatic chase for Zaldy Co’s elusive air assets and the unanswered questions surrounding the alleged blackmail attempt underscore the high-stakes, ruthless nature of this battle.

The message is ringing across the globe, aimed at every corrupt official and stolen peso: The Republic of the Philippines has launched a global pursuit, and there is no private jet fast enough to outfly justice.