Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. (Screenshot from Zoom)
Suspended congressman, Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. continues to make his exact whereabouts a mystery. In a press briefing via Zoom on Monday afternoon, April 17--his first since the March 4 assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo of which he is being linked to--Teves was asked point-blank whether or not he was in South Korea. "Yung sa South Korea, ah, no comment na lang (About South Korea, I'll just give you no comment). It's for me to know and for them to find out," said Teves, who was visibly in a good mood during the briefing. Earlier Monday, during the Senate Committee on Public Order hearing on the Degamo slay, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva told the panel that his friends had told him that they saw Teves eating at Lotte Hotel in South Korea about two days ago. Teves, whose virtual attendance at the hearing was refused by the senators at the last minute, was reportedly holed up in Cambodia several days ago. The controversial solon left the country last Feb. 28 for stem cell treatment in the United States (US). He was supposed to be back home on March 9, as per the travel clearance issued to him by the House of Representatives. House leaders have repeatedly asked Teves to return to the Philippines to face the allegations against him. Teves has said that he fears his life. Before the virtual press briefing, Teves had only commented about the Degamo killing via pre-recorded video messages on Facebook or through his lawyers. Teves was suspended by the House for 60 days last March 15 for "disorderly behavior".