Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Department of Justice is set to file terrorism, multiple murder and other criminal charges against Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” A. Teves Jr. for the 4 March killings of governor Roel R. Degamo and eight others and injuries to 17.

Teves has been tagged as “mastermind” in the slaying of Degamo.  The solon, who is still abroad, has denied the allegations against him.

“The case against Cong. Teves for multiple murder, multiple frustrated murder, multiple attempted murder will be filed very soon.  We will also file a case for terrorism simultaneous with the multiple murder cases,” Remulla said.

The DOJ chief, who is a member of the Anti-Terrorism Council, said the council convened on 26 April. “We started the process of designating Cong. Arnie Teves as a terrorist,” he shared.

Remulla said that during the meeting, he answered questions of the council members regarding the designation of Teves under Republic Act No. 11479, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

“We are prepared for legal chances because there might be people who may legally challenge the use of the Anti-Terror Law for this purpose,” he said.

The DOJ said he pointed out to the ATC that Degamo was the highest elected government official in Negros Oriental. “If a person with the rank of governor can be killed in his own home because of forces like this, then who would not be terrorized by such an action?”

The designation of Teves’ alleged criminal group will be tackled in the next ATC meeting.

There are at least four other persons set to be named as part of Teves’ group, among them Marvin H. Miranda, the then bodyguard of the congressman who is alleged to have served as the “casting director” in the plot to kill Degamo.

According to Remulla, once Teves is designated as terrorist, the ATC can also ask the Anti-Money Laundering Council to take action against him by moving “to freeze his assets.”

Earlier, Remulla had said that “the acts involving multiple murder and the fashion by which it was carried out including the recruitment of gunmen and use of high-powered firearms certainly falls within the coverage of the anti-terror law.”