DOJ Speaks on Arnie Teves Case in Timor-Leste
DOJ – The Department of Justice confirmed that former Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnie Teves Jr. is under a house arrest in Timor-Leste.
One of the most controversial politician deaths in the Philippines was the death of the late former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. He was attacked by unidentified men in his residence in Pamplona.
It was in the morning of March 4, 2023 when unidentified men barged in the residence of the Degamos in Pamplona. Several individuals who were also at the house of the Governor were left injured and dead by the incident.
Janice Degamo, also a public servant, called for the national government’s help to give justice to the death of her husband and several people who died because of the attack.
One of the main suspects in the death of the late former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo is former Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnie Teves Jr. It is no secret to the people in Negros Oriental that the Degamos and the Teves are political rivals.
Teves denied the accusations. He was already in abroad when he was named as one of the suspects in the death of Degamo. Through the videos he posted online last year, the then-Negros Oriental Congressman denied that he is the mastermind behind the plot to kill the then-Governor of the province.
Since then, Arnie Teves did not come home to the Philippines amid the calls from the national government and his family to come home and face the allegations. Currently, he is in Timor-Leste. Several PH officials are set to testify against Arnie Teves.
The Department of Justice previously confirmed that he was released from jail in Timor-Leste. The DOJ also announced that Teves was re-arrested shortly after his release as it is part of the legal procedures in the country.
Recently, the Court of Appeals of Timor-Leste ordered for a House Arrest for Arnie Teves Jr. It determined the Filipino politician to be a “flight risk”.
The DOJ recently confirmed that former Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnie Teves Jr. is now under a house arrest. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, DOJ Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said that they learned about it from Timor Leste Prosecutor General.
According to the Justice Department, the extradition proceedings are ongoing. Vasquez stressed that Teves is under the control of the police authorities and “deprived of liberty” whether he is in custody or on a house arrest.
Furthermore, based on the article, the DOJ assured that Arnie Teves will be under a 24-hour security and only his family members are allowed to visit him. The Department assured that the Philippine government “will maintain close oversight of the situation”.