STATEMENT OF ATTY. FERDINAND TOPACIO, PHILIPPINE LEAD COUNSEL OF CONGRESSMAN ARNOLFO TEVES, ON THE RECENT PRONOUNCEMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REGARDING THE PROGRESS OF THE EXTRADITION TREATY OF REP. TEVES

02 June 2024

"I have just conferred with my counterparts in Dili, Timor Leste, regarding the recent pronouncements of Department of Justice (DOJ) on the extradition of Mr. Teves, and my colleagues are in agreement that Mr. Clavano's statements, especially with respect to his expression of confidence in Mr. Teves' eventual repatriation are, to use a Portugese colloquialism, 'puro besteira'.

I have been briefed by my compañeros that the any issue of extradition in TL is always a matter for its Court of Appeals to decide and is thus a judicial, not an executive, matter. Its reaching the court is therefore not the signal achievement that the DOJ would want us to believe. On the contrary, the hearing of the case is only in the ordinary course of judicial proceedings. Clavano bragging about it is again nothing but 'mema' which the DOJ is wont to do.

"I was also apprised of the fact that the standards under which extradition may be allowed under the TL Constitution are more stringent than what can be found under our laws, more particularly due to the absence of an extradition treaty between the Philippines and Timor Leste. Hence, Mr. Clavano's optimism may be misplaced.

"We have lined up a strong panel of witnesses, as well as copious evidence, to show that the extradition request of the Philippines is both politically-motivated on the part of our country, as well as violative of the TL Constitution and our own Constitution as well.

"We appeal to the DOJ to STFU and stop its relentless trial by publicity, which it has been doing since the start of the investigation, and let the legal processes take their natural course."