JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday confirmed that Negros Oriental Third District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves is now in Timor Leste trying to seek asylum in an apparent bid to evade possible prosecution for his alleged role in the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others last March 4.
In an interview, Remulla told reporters that he had written Department of Foreign Affair (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo informing the latter of the steps being undertaken to designate Teves as a terrorist.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) chief also asked the DFA to relay to Timor Leste the position of the DOJ that Teves should not be given asylum as the Anti-Terrorism Council-Technical Working Group (ATC-TWG) has already convened to discuss the possibility of declaring Teves a terrorist aside from being a person of interest in several murder cases.
Remulla’s letter was in response to DFA’s letter dated April 29, 2023 wherein the latter relayed confidential information from the country’s ambassador to Timor Leste that the suspended lawmaker is in the capital city of Dili where he applied for a protection visa with intent of asylum.
“There is a special provision in law for that if you want to seek asylum, usually just for political purposes. But we don’t see any political reasons for him to seek asylum in Timor Leste,” Remulla said.
“It’s really for not wanting to face the consequences of certain actions by which he [Teves] is being held to account for in our courts of law,” he added.
Meanwhile, Remulla said murder charges are now being readied against Teves in connection with the killing of Degamo and nine others.
“We were about to file the cases, but a few more details are being ironed out but the filing of cases will happen anytime. I think the latest is on Monday but we are trying to do it by Friday. I’m asking them to hasten things up because it’s been more than two months since the murders. [They] might as well file the cases…” Remulla said.
Aside from being implicated in the Degamo killing, Teves is also facing multiple murder charges before the DOJ over the 2019 killing of former Negros Oriental Board Member Miguel Dungog and two others, as well as complaints of illegal possession of firearms.
Teves, who refused to return to the country over fears for his safety, has denied any link or involvement in the killing.
Eleven persons who allegedly participated in the gruesome crime have been charged and are facing trial for nine counts of murder, 13 counts of frustrated murder for the victims who sustained serious injuries and three (four counts) of attempted murder for the victims who sustained non-fatal injuries.
Remulla also said the prosecutors will “convert” the cases from nine counts of murders to 10 following the death of one of those critically injured victims of the attack identified as Fredelino “Putok” Cafe Jr., an employee of the Negros Oriental Provincial Engineering Office.
Cafe died last Sunday or more than two months after a group of armed men stormed Degamo’s residence in Pamplona town while he was meeting with his constituents and fired upon them, instantly killing the government and eight persons.
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