MANILA — Malacañang said former lawmaker Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co is seeking asylum in France after he was no longer in the custody of Czech authorities.

In a report, it said that Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida earlier confirmed on Monday that Co had been released from Czech custody following his earlier apprehension, adding that the former congressman remains within the Schengen area. He said authorities were not informed of Co’s exact location or his exit point from the Czech Republic.

The Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC) said it has already submitted the requirements needed by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for a red notice against Co.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. previously announced that Co, identified as a key figure in alleged corruption involving flood control projects, had been intercepted by authorities in Prague. The President made the statement through his official Facebook and X accounts.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said Marcos expressed disappointment over the latest developments in the case.

“Sinabi niya na disappointed siya… malapit na sana natin napauwi si Zaldy Co,” Castro said in a briefing Tuesday.

(He said he was disappointed… we should have brought Zaldy Co home soon.)