Expelled lawmaker Arnie Teves back in Manila

Expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. arrived in Manila late Thursday night after a flight from Timor-Leste made a brief stop in Davao City to refuel.

Teves landed at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City shortly before midnight. His legal counsel, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, was reportedly denied entry at Gate 4 of the air base.

In an ambush interview with reporters, Topacio said he and Teves' mother would proceed to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters.

Minutes after his arrival, Teves was brought to the NBI for booking procedures, including fingerprinting and a medical examination. Topacio and Teves’ mother were also seen at the NBI.

According to NBI Director Jaime Santiago, Teves will spend the night in NBI custody.

The government of Timor-Leste announced Wednesday that it would deport Teves and ban him from entering the country for 10 years.

Teves had been in the Southeast Asian nation for nearly two years after fleeing the Philippines amid allegations that he masterminded the 2023 Pamplona massacre, which killed Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others.