By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Claiming that expelled congressman and fugitive Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. is being persecuted in the Philippines, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio on Tuesday said he was “hopeful” that his client would be granted political asylum or refugee status in Timor-Leste.

This developed as the Philippine government vigorously pushes for Teves’ deportation.

“He is not being prosecuted in the normal process. He is being persecuted with the end view of pinning him down, notwithstanding the constitutional guarantees of the presumption of innocence,” Topacio quipped in an interview with ANC.

He cited the Philippine government’s supposed political persecution of Teves, who faces criminal charges in the country in connection with the murder of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and 9 others in March 2023.

At the same time, Teves was also tagged as a “terrorist” by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) in August 2023.

With this designation by the ATC, it authorizes the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze Teves’ assets.

The former representative of Negros Oriental 3rd district is in the custody of the Timor-Leste police after authorities there arrested him last month in the capital Dili while he was playing golf.

Teves’ extradition to the Philippines is being worked out by the International Police (Interpol) national central bureaus of Dili and Manila and the Philippine Embassy in Dili.

(el Amigo/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA – Returning to the country without expelled Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Medardo De Lemos said he pitied the murder suspect upon seeing him inside his detention cell in Timor-Leste.

On Sunday (24 March 2024), De Lemos said no less than Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta allowed the NBI to capture a photo of Teves inside his detention cell as only a “proof of life.”

“Eh sabi namin papaano namin malalaman na si Congressman Teves ‘yan. Hindi nila mai-harap sa amin si Congressman Teves dahil nakadapa ang tao sa selda, kung si Congressman man yun eh naawa kami,” De Lemos said.

Teves, who is now tagged as a terrorist, faces murder cases over the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo in March 2023.

On July 26, 2023, the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) designated him, his brother Pryde Henry and 11 others as terrorists due to their links to “alleged killings and harassments,” including Degamo’s murder, in Negros Oriental.

The NBI chief said that Timor-Leste authorities are still evaluating the request of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the country’s request for the custody of the former congressman.

“Legal process po ito ng Timor (…) at tayo naman bilang requesting party sa pamamagitan ng Interpol ay mag-aantay kung ano ang termination point at process nila doon sa kanilang bansa,” De Lemos explained.

Meanwhile, it was learned that Teves’ legal team will also seek political asylum for him in Timor-Leste, where he was arrested while practicing golf at a driving range last week by local police.

But Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano maintained that the multiple murder, attempted murder, and frustrated murder cases against Teves will have to go through the Philippine justice system.

(el Amigo/MNM)