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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Zaldy Co might acquire different passport if DFA doesn't act soon — Tiangco

Zaldy Co might acquire different passport if DFA doesn't act soon — Tiangco

Published Oct 17, 2025 01:21 pm

At A Glance

  • ​Former Ako Bicol Party-list representative Zaldy Co might end up acquiring a different passport if the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) continues to reject calls to cancel his existing Philippine passport, Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco warned on Friday, Oct. 17.
​Former Ako Bicol Party-list representative Zaldy Co might end up acquiring a different passport if the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) continues to reject calls to cancel his existing Philippine passport, Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco warned on Friday, Oct. 17.
Tiangco hit DFA and "some members of the government" for supposedly claiming that the cancellation of Co's passport is illegal. Co is the most prominent figure accused to have received kickbacks from billion-peso anomalous flood control projects.
The Navotas lawmaker says there is a provision in the Republic Act (RA) No. 11983 or the New Philippine Passport Act that cites "national security" as a ground for cancelling someone's passport.
"Eh yung galit na galit na tao, siguro naman mag-aagree tayo... may mga mass movements. Itong mas movements na 'to, pwedeng samantalahin ng masamang elemento para madestabilize 'yung gobyerno (People are now angry, I think we will agree on this... There are now mass movements, and these can be taken advantage of by the bad elements who want to destabilize the government)," Tiangco said in a press conference at the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
"Hindi pa ba national security issue 'yan, hindi pa ba pasok 'yun? So, sa DFA, hindi pa ba pasok yan? So bakit di niyo kanselahin tapos bahala na yung abogado nya na mag-question (Can't this be cohsidered a national security issue yet, DFA? So why don't you cancel his passport and let his lawyer question the move)," he added.
Tiangco's pronouncement came in the middle of continuous calls from the public to cancel Co's passport as Filipinos demand for his return to the country. Co is reportedly abroad, but his exact whereabouts are unknown.
DFA had earlier said it could not immediately cancel someone's passport as it may only do so "upon the issuance of a court order when the holder is a fugitive from justice or convicted of a criminal offense; or when there is proof that a passport was acquired fraudulently, tampered with, or issued erroneously".
Tiangco told DFA to just let Co's lawyer respond to the move, since there is a legal process for that.
He then warned that Co might end up acquiring a different passport from another country that the Philippines has no extradition treaty with if the DFA doesn't act fast on the appeal.
"Kasi 'pag dumating sa punto, wag naman sana, na sabihin na kailangan na syang pabalikin at hindi sya mapabalik, 'wag natin subukan yung pasensya ng tao (Because if we come to a point, which I hope not, that we try to send him home and we cannot do so, we might try the patience of the people)," he said.
"Sa tingin ko, doon na talaga magagalit yung taumbayan, at baka doon na sila magduda sa sinseridad ng imbestigasyon (So I think, that's when the people would start getting angry and doubt the sincerity of the investigation)," he added.
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