Teves returned with rights protected; denies murder charges

Timor-Leste transferred former Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. to the Philippines with stringent human rights protections to ensure the rights of the accused are protected including guarantees against death penalty, torture and indefinite imprisonment.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago said this as they assured the sentence of Teves if ever convicted will not surpass 40 years and even death penalty since the country doesn’t have it.

This as Timor-Leste formally handed over former Teves to the Philippine government on Thursday, 29 May, following months of legal and diplomatic negotiations.

The Certificate of Handover outlines a series of non-negotiable assurances from the Philippine government.

Based on the certificate, Teves must not face irreducible life imprisonment, with any life sentence requiring parole eligibility after 25 years. His total imprisonment is capped at 30 years, extendable to 40 years only in cases of multiple convictions. The death penalty is categorically prohibited, and Teves must be protected from torture, inhuman treatment, or degrading conditions.

Detention must also occur in facilities meeting international standards, with guaranteed access to legal counsel and medical care. The Philippine government has also committed to ensuring a fair and public trial conducted by an impartial tribunal, free from political influence. Timor-Leste retains the right to monitor Teves' treatment and legal proceedings to verify compliance with these conditions.

The agreement explicitly references Philippine domestic laws, such as Republic Act 9346 (abolishing the death penalty), and international treaties like the UN Convention Against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as these legal frameworks underpin the assurances provided to Timor-Leste.

Appeals for a swift trial

As Teves finally set foot on Philippine soil after nearly two years in Timor-Leste, the former Negros Oriental representative appealed to the court for a swift trial, expressing full trust in his lawyer and confidence that his conscience is clear. He made this appeal when National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago presented him to the media on Friday morning.

“My only request to the court is for the case to proceed quickly because honestly, if the case is handled properly, it shouldn't take long to resolve. I trust my lawyers, and my conscience is clear. I just hope the process is swift so this can finally be over," Teves said in a press briefing following his deportation from Timor-Leste on Thursday night.

He is facing murder and terrorism charges over the March 2023 assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine others in a broad daylight attack in Pamplona.

Aside from the Degamo case, he is also facing separate murder charges related to the 2019 killings of three people in Negros Oriental, including former provincial board member Miguel Dungog.

The ex-solon has repeatedly denied any involvement in Degamo’s assassination and has accused the government of political persecution.

Teves also declared that he is ready to face anyone, including Degamo’s widow, Negros Oriental Third District Representative Janice Degamo.

He expressed relief at finally being home and seeing his family, especially his mother. He admitted that after the charges were filed, what kept him from returning to the Philippines was fear for his and his family’s safety. He was apprehended in Timor-Leste on 27 May 2025 at his Dili residence. The extradition process faced delays due to concerns raised by Timor-Leste’s Court of Appeal, which sought ironclad guarantees for Teves' rights.

Teves added, “Of course, I’m sad because I’m going to be imprisoned. Here, you can be detained even if you haven’t been convicted yet. On the other hand, I’m also glad because I haven’t seen my mother in two years. My father passed away last December. I wasn’t able to come home, and that was quite painful. At least now this will finally be over, because even when I was still abroad, I was already thinking that even if I couldn’t go home, I would still have to face this and get it over with.”