Daily TribuneTeves has refused to enter a plea in his cases, prompting the court to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf.
FORMER Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. appeared before the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch for his arraignment in a 2019 murder case.
DAILY TRIBUNE file photo
The pre-trial hearing for former Negros Oriental lawmaker Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., who is facing multiple murder charges, was held Wednesday at the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51.
Teves is accused of orchestrating the March 2023 assassination of former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and several others.
He and several co-defendants also face separate charges for the deaths of three people in Negros Oriental in 2019.
“During the pre-trial, the parties proposed certain stipulations of facts, identified the issues, and enumerated the proposed witnesses,” said Andrei Bon Tagum, legal counsel for Degamo’s widow, Negros Oriental Third District Representative Janice Degamo.
Teves has refused to enter a plea in his cases, prompting the court to enter a not-guilty plea on his behalf.
According to his lawyer Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, Teves left the teleconferencing session early to meet with “some other people whose identities I cannot reveal, in connection with some matters that will be revealed at the proper time.”
The next pre-trial hearing is scheduled for 5 September. In July 2023, the Anti-Terrorism Council designated Teves and 12 others as terrorists, citing their alleged involvement in activities that threaten public order and safety.
