Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, a central figure in the flood control projects corruption scandal, has assured House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III of his intent to return home and face the allegations against him – though he has yet to confirm his current whereabouts.
In a Sept. 25 letter sent to Dy, Co expressed dismay over the revocation of his approved travel clearance, which occurred while he was abroad for a scheduled medical treatment.
“I have every intention of returning to the Philippines. I am also intent on belying the false claims made against me before the proper forum,” said the controversial congressman.
Co, the Committee on Appropriations chairman during the previous 19th Congress, is facing allegations that he inserted provisions into the Bicameral Report and the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA). He flatly denied these claims.
He says he is determined to return to the Philippines to answer and disprove “false and baseless accusations” against him, stressing that he has nothing to hide and will face his critics in the proper forum.
“The insinuation that, on my own, I had made insertions is untrue. The Bicameral Report and 2025 GAA were approved by both Houses at plenary sessions and followed the proper process,” Co said.
Still, the Bicol lawmaker says he is apprehensive about what awaits him upon his return, citing the wave of public opinion turned against him.
“I am very much apprehensive about what awaits me should I return, given that the public and your good office have prejudged me,” Co told the Speaker.
He also rejected other accusations — including claims that his family owns an aircraft allegedly used to fly former president Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague, that he sought fish import allocations for “ZC Victory Fishing Corporation,” and that he received Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) funds.
“These are false, baseless, and politically charged,” he stressed.
Co, who reportedly has a heart ailment, reiterated his call for fairness and due process. “I hope that, when I return, I would be afforded due process and that you would ensure the safety of my family and me,” he said.
On Sept. 18, Dy III revoked the travel clearance of the Ako Bicol solon and ordered him to return to the Philippines within 10 days. (Ellson Quismorio)
