NBI official recalls the time Teves threatened him with charges
Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. (Facebook)
A National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) official testified on Wednesday, April 19 before the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs committee how Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. threatened to file charges against NBI agents for raiding an e-sabong (electronic cockfighting) cockpit in Cebu last year. On the third day of the Senate public hearing presided by Senator Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa, lawyer Renan Oliva, current regional director of the NBI Cebu regional office, testified that Teves threatened to file charges against NBI agents for the alleged theft of P7 million from the e-sabong cockpit in Minglanilla, Cebu. Oliva said he was surprised at the amount cited by Teves since what the NBI actually turned over to the Court of First Instance was P2.6 million, on top of and livestreaming paraphernalia seized during the raid. He said his office filed a case with the fiscal’s office against two operators and 37 personnel caught in the act of livestreaming e-sabong. Oliva said lawyer Noel Bugaling, NBI assistant regional director in Pampanga, called him up to say that Teves wanted to talk to him, assuring him that the congressman was a good man. In the afternoon of Sept. 20, 2022, Teves and an entourage went to his Cebu office to tell him that he was not connected to e-sabong operations because he had already delegated to his friends. Teves reportedly assured Oliva that he would be safe if he would report as ‘’negative other operations against e-sabong". Oliva said he laughed at this and dared Teves to file charges against him and his men. He said he refused to violate his oath of office. He said the court later dismissed the case filed against the e-sabong operation last February. Five months after the raid, Oliva said he and his men were accused before the Office of the Ombudsman for the Visayas of irregularity in the service of the search warrant and the theft of P9 million. Congressman Teves’ brother, former Negros Oriental Governor Henry Pryde Teves, was present at the Dela Rosa committee hearing but did not comment on Oliva’s testimony. The whereabouts of Teves remains unknown, although he is believed to be out of the country. If he were in Oliva’s shoes, Dela Rosa said he would have told Teves, ‘’How dare you to tell me that..it’s very bad.’’ Dela Rosa saluted Oliva for not buckling down to Teves’ threats and for holding up his oath of office.