Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Janice Degamo on Saturday renewed her call for the immediate transfer of expelled congressman Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) detention facility to the Manila City Jail, citing fears of preferential treatment and security lapses.
Degamo, widow of slain Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, said Teves—who faces multiple murder and terrorism charges in connection with the March 2023 Pamplona massacre—should not remain in what she described as a “comfortable” detention facility after nearly two years on the run abroad.
“He has to be in jail — real jail,” Degamo told reporters. “He should be brought home and detained in the worst jail in the country. He must answer for his crimes.”
Teves, who sought asylum in Timor-Leste after being linked to the fatal attack that killed the governor and nine others, was deported to the Philippines in May. He is currently being held at the NBI headquarters in Manila.
Degamo warned that the former lawmaker, whom she described as “wealthy and well-connected,” could once again exploit the system to his advantage.
“My fear is that he might get VIP treatment because bribery is really their expertise,” she said. “We’ve seen this happen before.”
She cited the 2023 case of convicted kidnapper Jad Dera, who was caught outside the NBI compound during an alleged unauthorized furlough. Authorities recovered firearms, cash, and a mobile phone from Dera, raising concerns about detainees receiving special privileges.
Degamo also criticized Teves’ lavish lifestyle while in Timor-Leste, saying he lived “a life fit for a king.”
“Now he must experience what it really means to be a prisoner,” she said. “How can you feel remorse if you’re enjoying detention?”
Asked where Teves should be transferred, she was blunt: “Manila City Jail.”
In response, NBI Director Jaime Santiago said the agency would follow legal protocol.
“File their motions in court,” Santiago said. “We will abide by whatever the court tells us.”
Degamo also issued a direct challenge to the former solon: “If he had the balls to order people, to pay people, to gun them down, he should have the balls to be answerable. He’s only brave when he’s paying others to do the dirty work.”
Since her husband's assassination, Degamo has taken an active role in pursuing justice and exposing alleged corruption and violence in Negros Oriental, where the brazen killing shocked the nation and sparked a broader investigation into political violence and local terrorism.