EDITORIAL: Borderless Justice

THE government’s openness to tapping the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in pursuing the arrest of former Ako-Bicol Representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co is both timely and telling.

It underscores a hard truth in today’s fight against corruption: plunder no longer respects borders, and neither should justice.

Co is no ordinary fugitive. He is a former lawmaker now facing arrest warrants in connection with a substandard P289.5-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro, a case that cuts to the heart of public safety and accountability.

Even more disturbing are testimonies linking him to massive budget insertions in flood control projects in Bulacan, allegedly inflating allocations by as much as P35 billion between 2022 and 2025.

These are not technical lapses; they are allegations of systemic abuse with life-and-death consequences for communities vulnerable to flooding.

The reported belief that Co is now in Portugal—possibly armed with a Portuguese passport and protected by a “golden visa”—illustrates how wealth and connections can be used to evade accountability.

It also highlights why traditional law-enforcement tools may no longer be enough. An Interpol Red Notice is important, but it is only a starting point. The UNCAC, ratified by more than 190 countries, offers a broader framework for mutual legal assistance, asset recovery, and international cooperation—precisely the mechanisms needed when corruption goes global.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson’s proposal to activate the UNCAC is therefore not just practical; it is necessary.

If the Philippines is serious about holding high-level offenders accountable, it must fully use the international instruments it has pledged to uphold. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s assurance before the United Nations that the country remains proactive in fighting corruption will ring hollow if such tools are acknowledged in speeches but left idle in practice.

Yet, the Palace’s admission that there is no ongoing coordination with UNCAC bodies is troubling. Exploring options must swiftly give way to concrete action.

Time favors fugitives, not justice. Every delay sends the wrong signal—that accountability is negotiable if one has the means to cross borders and acquire alternative citizenship.

Invoking the UNCAC should not be treated as an extraordinary measure reserved for political convenience. It should be part of a standard, institutional response to grand corruption cases.

Doing so will not only strengthen the case against Co but also set a precedent that public office is not a shield, and foreign soil is not a sanctuary.

The fight against corruption cannot stop at the airport. If the Philippines truly intends to prove that no one is above the law, it must be prepared to pursue justice wherever it leads—even across continents.