Mayor Janice Degamo Says Arnie Teves Release Is A ‘Media Stunt’
ARNIE TEVES – Mayor Janice Degamo of Pamplona town, Negros Oriental, said the release of expelled Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. was a ‘media stunt.’
Mayor Janice Degamo of Pamplona, Negros Oriental, described the recent actions by the camp of expelled Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. as a deceptive media stunt aimed at clearing him of accusations related to the massacre of her husband, former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, and nine others in March last year.
“Negrenses have become accustomed to the deceit and trickery used by Arnie Teves and members of his terrorist group,” Degamo stated in a text message to the Inquirer on Tuesday.
“Yesterday’s (Monday) media stunt by Arnie’s legal team was nothing more than a photo-op designed to mislead the public and spread fear within Negros Oriental that Arnie Teves had once again used his blood money to escape justice,” Janice Degamo added.
On Monday, Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand Topacio claimed that his client was released from detention due to a government error and that the Philippines had filed the extradition request at the wrong time.
However, Degamo mentioned that the Department of Justice (DOJ) informed her that Teves was detained by Timor Leste’s national police and appeared in court on Tuesday morning for extradition proceedings.
In a statement on Tuesday, the DOJ clarified that Teves’ release and subsequent rearrest were part of the legal process but did not specify the reasons for his initial release.
Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla expressed gratitude to the Timor Leste government for its cooperation in bringing the former lawmaker to justice.
“This rearrest underscores the robust partnership between our nations and our collective commitment to eradicating impunity, regardless of one’s social status or influence,” Remulla said in a statement.
“We look forward to Mr. Teves facing the charges against him in a court of law [in the Philippines] and not anywhere else,” he added.
The DOJ also released a photo showing Teves being handcuffed by three men, two in police uniforms, during his rearrest.
Teves was arrested on March 21 while playing golf in Timor-Leste, based on a red alert notice by the International Criminal Police Organization.
He was expelled from the House of Representatives in August after the DOJ filed criminal charges against him and four others in the Manila Regional Trial Court.