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)