Walang Tago! Sandiganbayan Orders Seizure of Fugitive Ex-Rep Zaldy Co's P215 Million in Properties

The long arm of the law just caught up with former congressman Zaldy Co's real estate portfolio. The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has issued a writ of preliminary attachment against 16 properties belonging to the fugitive lawmaker, with a combined estimated value of over P215 million.

The court's 13-page decision, promulgated on March 4 and made public on Monday, March 9, came after state prosecutors filed a petition arguing there was an urgent need to secure Co's assets. The properties — eight in Pasig City, four in Makati City, three in Quezon City, and one in Lipa, Batangas — will now be placed under court custody pending his graft and malversation cases.

Co, who previously served as chairman of the House appropriations committee under the Ako Bicol party-list, faces charges stemming from an allegedly anomalous flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. The Office of the Ombudsman filed the cases in November 2025, and the Sandiganbayan has since issued warrants for his arrest — pero wala pa ring nakita si kuya.

The seizure order means Co can't sell, transfer, or hide these assets while the case is ongoing. Prosecutors argued that without the attachment, there would be no guarantee of recovering the civil liabilities should Co be found guilty of plundering public funds meant for flood protection.

The case is a reminder that you can run from the Sandiganbayan, but your properties definitely can't. With P215 million worth of real estate now frozen, the anti-graft court is making sure taxpayers won't be left empty-handed if justice prevails.

Source: Rappler