Ex-lawmaker Teves home 'in just a matter of days' — DOJ

After his arrest in Timor-Leste on 21 March, expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District representative Arnolfo “Arnie” A. Teves, would be in the Philippines "in just a matter of days" should the two governments decide to have him deported, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said yesterday.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Medardo G. De Lemos leads a team in Timor-Leste to escort Teves back to the Philippines.

According to DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV, the matter will be fast but the timing will be based on the Timor-Leste government and Teves will be in the Philippines in a matter of days.

The DOJ official said operatives of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and Timor-Leste police arrested Teves at around 4:00 p.m. last 21 March while the expelled legislator who had also been designated terrorist was playing golf at the Top Golf Driving Range and Bar in the capital city of Dili.

“Deportation kasi mas mabilis na proseso ‘yun kasi undesirable alien s’ya wala s’yang passport doon, undocumented s’ya which means he is already in violation of immigration laws (Deportation is a fast process since Teves is already an undesirable alien due to the cancelation of passport and is now undocumented which means he is already in violation of Timor-Leste immigration laws),” explained Clavano.

At present, Clavano said Timor-Leste officials and the members of the Philippine delegation have ongoing discussions as to what procedure Teves will be returned to the Philippines.

Aside from deportation, Timor-Leste and Philippine officials are also considering to have Teves extradited.

“The Philippines and Timor-Leste have no extradition treaty. However, there may be a way to still request for extradition dahil d’yan sa UNTOC, United Nations (UN) Convention on Transnational Organized Crime,” Clavano said.

In the absence of an extradition treaty, “an extradition request can still be sought but it will take a bit of documentation.”

“We will have to comply with certain requirements sa extradition request and then the extradition request will not come in the form of an extradition treaty,” he said.

“I don’t see much that the other camp can do to further delay the return to the Philippines,” Clavano declared.

Clavano recalled that the Timor-Leste government has twice denied the asylum request of Teves, adding, “His initial asylum request got denied. Teves filed a motion for reconsideration but got denied again.”

The DOJ official said, “We don’t have any information of any death threats or any security risks that Mr. Teves is facing.”

Clavano though assured that “the priority of the government is for him to face the charges the best way he can kasi kasama naman ‘yan sa due process (because that is part of due process) so it is in our best interest and his best interest na he is safe secure and healthy.”

Ten counts of murder, 12 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder were filed before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 51 over the 4 March 2023 shootings in Pamplona, Negros Oriental where 10 persons were killed including provincial governor Roel Degamo.

The court has already issued an arrest warrant against Teves on 5 September 2023 and later released an order dated 5 February 2024 that directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to have his passport canceled.

The Interpol issued against Teves a “red notice” which is “a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person's pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.”

In July last year, the Philippines’ Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) also announced that it designated Teves as a terrorist.