Teves deported

Expelled Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., the alleged mastermind behind the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine others, was deported from Timor-Leste to the Philippines on Thursday, 29 May.

He is facing multiple murder charges over the killing of Governor Degamo and nine others on 4 March 2023, at the Degamo residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental.

In an interview, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla detailed the Philippine government’s detention and legal plans for Teves, who was brought back to the country after nearly two years in hiding.

Teves, who fled abroad following his alleged involvement in the Degamo assassination, is set to undergo immediate legal procedures. Remulla said the former lawmaker will first go through routine processes, including health checks, biometric profiling, and official booking, before his arraignment.

“There’s already a trial lined up,” Remulla emphasized in a media interview on Thursday.

Regarding detention arrangements, Remulla confirmed that Teves will initially be placed at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) before being transferred to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for a comprehensive health evaluation. “He’ll be at Bilibid first, then afterward, most likely a health check at the NBI,” Remulla explained, adding that court proceedings are expected to move swiftly. “It’s close; the hearings have been happening frequently these past few months.”

The extraction team that escorted Teves home included NBI agents, Assistant Secretary Eli Cruz, and personnel from the Bureau of Immigration, who coordinated the details of his arrest and transfer. “Once he’s here, it will be easy for us to bring him before the court,” Remulla noted.

Given the high-profile nature of the case, Remulla assured the public that Teves would be held in a secure facility, most likely under NBI custody, as part of the government’s security measures. “Safety is our concern, so it will likely be one of the NBI’s prepared facilities. We’ve made arrangements,” he said, noting that Teves would receive “special treatment” due to the sensitivity of the case, though his exact location remains undisclosed.

The DOJ chief also underscored that deportation and extradition matters fall squarely under the executive branch, not the judiciary. Without naming Teves directly, he criticized legal strategies aimed at prolonging proceedings. “The executive should assert its right to deport individuals who should be declared persona non grata. That’s how it works — it’s an executive function,” Remulla stressed, adding that “there should be no inexhaustible appeals. That is not worthy of a mature judicial system.”

Remulla reaffirmed that the DOJ remains steadfast in pursuing other fugitives abroad. “The DOJ’s work has not stopped. We are studying and discussing many cases; we are actively pursuing them. And we will not stop because the people need this — for the nation they love to also love them back,” Remulla said.

As Teves now faces arraignment and the start of trial proceedings, the Marcos administration has signaled its resolve to deliver swift justice and strengthen public confidence in the Philippine legal system.

In addition to the Degamo case, Teves and others have been charged over the alleged killings of three individuals in Negros Oriental in 2019. He and 12 associates were also designated as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council, citing multiple killings and harassment incidents in the province.

The former solon was expelled by the House of Representatives in August 2024 for disorderly conduct and continued absence.