The secretary of justice is leading the team that will negotiate with Czech authorities to bring back former Ako Bicol party-list congressman Elizaldy Co from Prague.
Some quarters are warning that the process could take months, even if Co already faces an arrest warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan for graft and malversation related to the flood control corruption scandal.
Co was apprehended in Prague for entering the country without proper documentation. The Department of Justice has clarified that it was technically not an arrest because Co faced no criminal charges in the Czech Republic.
Among the avenues that the Philippine government is eyeing to get custody of Co, according to the DOJ, is through the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
The UNCAC was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2003. It is the only legally binding universal instrument against corruption, requiring state parties to cooperate in the exchange of information and the pursuit of people and assets gained through graft.
Covering bribery, embezzlement, influence peddling and money laundering, the UNCAC binds parties to pass laws aligned with international standards and pursue policies promoting transparency and integrity in government.
Considering the extent of the corruption and money laundering problem in this country, the government can use this case to test the usefulness of the UNCAC. The convention had over 190 state parties and 140 signatories as of September last year.
It entered into force way back in December 2005 but has never been tested by the Philippines, where corruption has become endemic.
The Philippines signed UNCAC shortly after it was adopted by the UN in 2003. The country ratified the convention in November 2006.
April 22 marks the 21st anniversary of the Czech Republic’s signing of UNCAC. It ratified the instrument in November 2013. So Prague is obligated to cooperate in corruption-related legal proceedings by other states that have acceded to UNCAC.
Co has been on the run for nearly a year now. The longer he stays out of the Philippines following his apprehension by Czech authorities, the greater the speculation that certain quarters may be trying to influence whatever he might say when he finally returns to Manila.
While considering the use of UNCAC to bring back Co, the government may also explore broader utilization of the convention to go after money launderers.
The UNCAC gives state parties a weapon against corruption. It’s in the Philippines’ arsenal and it’s time to use it.