SPEAKER Faustino Dy III on Friday disclosed that he promptly sought the intervention of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to cancel the passport of former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co following the Bicolano lawmaker’s resignation from the House of Representatives last Sept. 29.
Dy said he immediately contacted then-Justice Secretary, now Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to request swift action to restrict Co’s travel abroad amid investigations into alleged irregularities in public works projects linked to the former lawmaker.
“Right after we received his (Co’s) resignation letter, I immediately called then DOJ Secretary Remulla,” Dy said in a radio interview.
The Speaker said he asked Remulla for the most effective way to revoke Co’s passport to limit the cashiered lawmaker’s movements overseas.
“That’s what we did; we immediately cooperated with the DOJ,” Dy said.
Dy explained that while the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has authority to cancel passports, the House sought the assistance of the DOJ because it oversees the Bureau of Immigration and can help expedite the coordination process.
Dy said Remulla had assured him that the DOJ would take the fastest possible course of action to revoke Co’s passport.
He added that while the DOJ had been requested to coordinate, communications with the DFA had also begun.
Dy recalled that Co’s last letter to the House before resigning stated that he was leaving the country for medical treatment in the United States.
However, the Speaker acknowledged receiving reports that Co might now be in Europe.
If Co returns to the Philippines—voluntarily or otherwise—Dy said the case would likely be handled by the DOJ or the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) which is heading the investigation into alleged irregularities in public works, particularly flood-control projects.
