MANILA — Former Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. has officially been charged with murder, frustrated murder, and attempted murder in connection to the tragic killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed these charges on Saturday, August 26th.

According to DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano, Arnolfo Teves Jr. had the charges of murder, frustrated murder, and attempted murder filed against him the previous Friday.

This was done before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Manila, specifically pertaining to the cases involving Degamo. Clavano made this announcement during a media forum, and a video of his statement was posted by ABS-CBN on their platform (formerly known as Twitter).

Teves is suspected to be the mastermind behind the assassination of Roel Degamo, which occurred on March 4th. The official indictment is dated August 18th.

Additionally, Arnolfo Teves Jr. is also facing murder charges for three other killings that took place in Negros Oriental back in 2019. Clavano verified that these charges had been filed in Bayawan.

The DOJ is actively pursuing the transfer of these cases to Manila. (ai/mnm)