The camp of resigned Congressman Zaldy Co said he is prepared to return to the Philippines once there is no longer any threat to his life, as he intends to personally face the allegations against him and clear his name.

His legal counsel, Atty. Ruy Rondain revealed that he recently spoke with Co, who assured him of his plan to come home under safer conditions.

Rondain emphasized that Co has not offered any restitution or return of supposed ill-gotten wealth, insisting that the former lawmaker did not steal anything. The lawyer maintained that there is no basis for claims that Co is negotiating with authorities in exchange for returning funds allegedly linked to flood control projects.

He also clarified that Co himself confirmed he did not send anyone to communicate with Ombudsman Boying Remulla on his behalf. Rondain stressed that any reports suggesting that emissaries had approached the Ombudsman to initiate dialogue were not authorized by his client.

The legal counsel added that Co has been issuing video statements to present his side and assist the public in understanding the issue, but claimed that these statements have not been acknowledged by the government. He reiterated that Co is willing to address the accusations directly once he feels it is safe to do so.

Earlier, Remulla disclosed that several individuals had reached out to him claiming that Co wanted to open a line of communication with the government. The Ombudsman reportedly responded that Co should first return billions of pesos allegedly taken from flood control projects as proof of his sincerity before any dialogue could take place.