Palace disowns Jonvic's remark on Zaldy Co return timeline

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s earlier estimate that fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co could be returned to the Philippines within one to three weeks was a personal view, Malacañang said.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Remulla’s statement did not reflect the position of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. or the Palace.

“Yung sinabi po ni Secretary Jonvic na maaaring mapauwi in two to three weeks, galing lamang po ito kay Secretary Jonvic Remulla,” Castro said at a press briefing Tuesday, April 28. (What Secretary Jonvic said about a possible return in two to three weeks came solely from him.)

“Hindi po ito pronouncement ng pangulo at hindi rin po ito pronouncement ng palasyo,” she added. (This is not a pronouncement from the president, nor from the Palace.)

The clarification came after the Palace disclosed earlier in the day that Co is in France seeking asylum, complicating efforts to bring him back to the Philippines.

Apology

Remulla, meanwhile, apologized for his earlier assessment, saying he had assumed the repatriation process would be similar to that in the Philippines.

“It was my mistake to assume that the process of repatriating individuals with insufficient travel documents were the same as that of the Philippines. Apparently they are not the same. My mistake,” Remulla said, as quoted in an ABS-CBN report.

He had earlier said Co could be deported within one to three weeks following his reported detention in the Czech Republic.

Authorities have since said Co is no longer in Czech custody.

RELATED: ‘Nakampante’: Zaldy Co may be back in Philippines in 1 to 3 week