Patience wears thin on Teves

The extradition of expelled Congressman Arnulfo Teves Jr. will not take too long, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said on Saturday.

It said “it will not be too long” before expelled lawmaker Teves would return to the Philippines, noting that the government of Timor-Leste does not want the fugitive “to stay longer” in their country.

The former solon fled the Philippines last year after he was tagged as the alleged mastermind behind the murder of late Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, who was shot to death in a compound in March 2023.

“I don’t think that the President of Timor Leste wants him (Teves) to stay longer,” Clavano said.

The DoJ expects extradition operations against Teves to start in the coming weeks, after Pope Francis visits the Southeast Asian nation.

The holy visit marks Teves return Clavano said a papal visit will happen in Timor-Leste from 9 to 11 September.

“We hope to execute the operation right after the papal visit… That will depend on the authorities of Timor-Leste,” he said.

The government earlier released a statement, saying that Timor-Leste’s Court of Appeals has denied Teves’ request to reconsider his extradition.

But the former lawmaker’s legal counsel, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio labeled the announcement as “fake news.”

Teves’ camp has repeatedly asserted that the Negrense politician fled the Philippines to avoid political persecution.

The DoJ, in February, said it received an order from a Manila court for the immediate cancellation of Teves’ passport as the court ruled that the former lawmaker is “indeed a fugitive from justice” whose right to travel can be restricted in the interest of public safety.