Police are still looking for at least 10 more luxury vehicles allegedly owned by former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co and his companies, a ranking police official said.
Police Brig. Gen. Hansel Marantan, director of the Highway Patrol Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP-HPG), said they have already expanded the search and intensified the intelligence to locate the 10 vehicles.
“We are supposed to recover 24 motor vehicles, we located 14 during our operation in Taguig so we are looking for 10 more,” said Marantan in a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday, Jan. 12.
HPG operatives, along with personnel from the Bureau of Customs and the Land Transportation Office (LTO), found 14 vehicles at the parking space of a condominium in Taguig City.
Of the 14 vehicles, only 12 were recovered and turned over to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) since the two others remain in Taguig City since they could not be started and driven.
Among those seized were high-end models such as Rolls-Royce, Toyota Sequoia, Cadillac Escalade, and Lexus.
Co was accused of pocketing billions of pesos of kickbacks from flood control and other infrastructure projects. An arrest warrant was issued against him but he was reportedly in hiding abroad.
Some of the bank accounts and properties, including air assets, linked to Co were already frozen amid the ongoing investigation.
While his lawyer questioned the legality of the confiscation of the luxury cars, acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr defended the operation.
“The operation was in compliance with an order from proper authorities. We want to assure the public that all actions of the Philippine National Police are legal and in accordance with the law,” said Nartatez.
“From the start, we already committed to provide assistance in the investigation and enforcement of all legal orders in relation to the flood control issue. The involvement of your PNP in the operation was part of that commitment,” he added.
For his part, Marantan urged the drivers and custodians of the 10 missing luxury vehicles to surrender them in the soonest possible time.
“It’s better to surrender them. You could not use and sell them anyway. And the worst part is that you will be held liable once we found them in your possession,” said Marantan.