Dela Rosa: Teves will virtually attend Senate probe on Degamo killing
Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr.
Suspended Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo ‘’Arnie’’ Teves Jr. will attend the scheduled April 17 Senate inquiry on the March 4 murder of Governor Roel Degamo and other political killings in Negros Oriental. Senator Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa, chairman of the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee, said Teves ‘’made his commitment through his secretary, communicating with my committee secretariat that he is going to attend virtually during the hearing". Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National. Police (PNP) chief, said it is "very important" for his committee to get the side of the Negros Oriental lawmaker who has not returned to the country since the broad-daylight ambush of Degamo and eight others in Pamplona town. Degamo had been distributing aid to beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer program from his house when he was gunned down in cold blood. Earlier, House Speaker Martin Romualdez asked Teves to come home from the United States (US), which he flew into last February for medical reasons.
Dela Rosa earlier said he could not cite the suspended congressman in contempt because of inter-parliamentary courtesy. Teves was suspended for 60 days by the House last March 15 for "disorderly behavior". Because Teves finally agreed to attend his committee hearing instead of heeding Romualdesz’s call, Dela Rosa said: ‘’I don’t know what is his motivation.’’
Queried whether or not he thinks Teves wants to clear his name, the senator said: ‘’Yeah, no problem with me.’’ Dela Rosa said partly in Filipino: "And that is a good sign if he wants to attend our probe.” ‘’He can do everything he wants to say. I am there to control the proceedings of the hearing. So kung gagamitin niya yung committee hearing ko (So if he wafts to use my committee) for grandstanding or whatever, I’m there to control, I’m there to moderate everything,’’ he added. The Department of Justice (DOJ) believes that Teves is in Cambodia, a country which does not have an extradition treaty with the Philippines.