Court Issues Gag Order on Roel Degamo Case amid Ongoing Legal Proceedings of Teves in Timor-Leste
ROEL DEGAMO CASE – The Manila Regional Trial Court issued a gag order refraining the camp of Arnie Teves and the DOJ from giving statements.
Since 2023 when he was tagged as the suspect in the death of the late former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and many others, former Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnie Teves has yet to return to the Philippines.
Former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo was shot at his house in Pamplona last March 2023. Several individuals who were at the residence of the Governor and his wife, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, then was left wounded and dead.
The death of Degamo sparked calls from his wife and his supporters for justice. For his side, through a series of videos he previously posted online after he was linked to the death of the Governor, Teves denied the accusations.
Former Negros Oriental Congressman Arnie Teves refused to come home to the Philippines stressing his concern for his safety. Currently, he is in Timor-Leste.
Teves was previously released from jail in Timor-Leste but was re-arrested shortly after as per the legal proceedings. The Philippine authorities are monitoring the legal proceedings taking place abroad in the pursuit to bring him home for him to face the case against him.
The Court of Appeals in Timor-Leste ordered Teves to be under a House Arrest. The Court cited that he is a flight risk noting that he came to the country in a private plane and has rented an apartment with 20 employees.
Recently, the DOJ confirmed that Teves was removed from House Arrest but assured that he is under close monitoring. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, a court has issued a gag order on the Roel Degamo case.
A gag order prevents the camp of Arnie Teves and the Department of Justice (DOJ) from issuing statements regarding the Roel Degamo case. The order was penned by the Manila Regional Trial Court.
The DOJ welcomed the decision of the Court on the case. It stressed that evidence must be presented in the court.
“Hindi na tayo dapat magsasalita sa social media, sa mainstream media, kung saan pa. Ang labanan talaga dapat ay on the legal side of thing which is in court,” DOJ spokesman Attorney Mico Clavano said.
The DOJ expressed its trust and respect to the decision issued by a judge in the Philippines preventing the discussion of the matter that go into the merits of the case. Based on the report, Clavano assured that Teves is under close monitoring and the DOJ is on the tail end of bringing him back to the Philippines to face the charges against him.
“At the end of this whole process, nasa tail end na po tayo maibalik si Ginoong Teves dito sa Pilipinas para iharap ang mga kaso na inihain laban sa kanya,” the DOJ spokesman said.