Lawyer of Arnie Teves Speaks as Timor-Leste Hearings End
ARNIE TEVES – The camp of the former Negros Oriental Representative is hopeful that the Timor-Leste Court’s decision will be favorable to them.
Since March 2023 when the late former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo died due to an unexpected attack, expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo Teves has yet to return to the Philippines.
Teves was tagged as one of the main suspects in the death of Degamo. He is currently facing several charges due to what happened.
Degamo was attacked at his residence in Pamplona last March 4, 2023. Aside from the then Negros Oriental Governor, there were several individuals who died due to the incident. Many people who happened to be at the house of the late politician were also injured.
Former Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnie Teves denied the allegations against him. After he was tagged as the mastermind then, Teves explained his side through videos that he posted online. He debunked the allegations against him.
Currently, former Congressman Arnie Teves is in Timor-Leste. He is under a house arrest as ordered by the Court of Appeals in the country as he was identified as a “flight risk”. The Court cited that he arrived in the country using a private plane and he rented a residence for $10,000 with 20 employees.
Several former and current Philippine officials were set to testify against Arnie Teves on the case against him. There were also former Philippine officials who were set to testify in support for the former Congressman.
Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, as the Timor-Leste extradition hearings end, the camp of former Negros Oriental Congressman Arnie Teves is hopeful that the result will be favorable to them.
The Philippines’ Department of Justice (DOJ) wants Teves to face the charges against him in Manila. Based on the article, Teves’ lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, expressed that they gave their best shot.
“We gave it our best shot, and hope and pray that the East Timor court would follow what is in the Constitution, without regard to the diplomatic pressure that the Philippines government has been exerting,” Topacio said.