April 28, 2026 —Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has apologized for his earlier statements on the case of fugitive lawmaker Zaldy Co, admitting he made a mistake in assuming the deportation process would be straightforward. Remulla previously said Co could be back in the Philippines within one to three weeks after reports of his detention in the Czech Republic, but the Department of Justice later clarified that Co was no longer in Czech custody.

Remulla told ABS-CBN News that his earlier remarks were based on incorrect assumptions about European deportation procedures. “It was my mistake to assume that the process of repatriating individuals with insufficient travel documents were the same as that of the Philippines. Apparently they are not the same. My mistake,” he said.

The apology came after the DOJ confirmed that Co, who was initially reported to have been arrested in Prague for lacking proper travel documents, was no longer under Czech custody. Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida explained that Co is believed to still be within the Schengen area, traveling by land, which complicates efforts to track and repatriate him.

Co, a former Ako Bicol party-list representative and ex-chairman of the House appropriations committee, has been implicated in the multi-billion peso flood control scandal. He fled the country in 2025 and has since been declared a fugitive by the Sandiganbayan. His alleged involvement in budget insertions and infrastructure anomalies has made him a central figure in one of the country’s largest corruption cases.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier announced Co’s arrest in Prague, saying authorities were coordinating with Czech officials for his return. However, subsequent developments revealed that Co was no longer detained, prompting confusion and criticism over conflicting government statements.

Remulla’s apology is seen as an effort to clarify the government’s position and avoid further misinformation. He emphasized that the Department of Foreign Affairs is leading coordination with European authorities, while the Department of the Interior and Local Government is only assisting. “The DFA is really the lead on this, not me; I’m just coordinating,” he said in a separate interview.

For now, Philippine authorities continue to work with Interpol and European counterparts to locate Co and arrange his eventual return to face graft and malversation charges. The case highlights the complexities of international law enforcement and the challenges of pursuing fugitives across open-border regions like the Schengen zone.

This latest development underscores the government’s struggle to maintain consistent messaging in high-profile corruption cases, with Remulla’s public apology serving as a corrective step amid mounting public scrutiny.