Former Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. is set to be discharged from the hospital and returned to Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) custody, despite not being fully recovered, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, legal counsel for Teves, disclosed that his client continues to experience pain but opted to leave the hospital “to silence misguided and malicious critics.”

“Actually, he’s not fully recovered. The pain still flares up, but he said to just discharge him so people will stop gossiping,” Topacio said in a radio interview.

Teves will be transferred back to Annex 2 of the BJMP, where doctors have instructed nurses to monitor his condition. He may be returned to the hospital if his pain worsens.

“At least now, the pain is manageable,” Topacio added, acknowledging the BJMP’s limited medical facilities.

Topacio also confirmed that a trial schedule has been set for Teves’ murder case and that they intend to request video teleconferencing for the proceedings to ease the burden on the government.

The Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 12, handling Teves’ murder case, previously granted a motion to defer his arraignment and pre-trial, originally scheduled for 30 June due to his medical condition. The hearing was rescheduled to 14 July via videoconference.

Teves was recently transferred to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City after initially being brought to a public hospital on 16 June due to severe abdominal pain. He was later recommended for major surgery.