Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Tuesday, May 9 disclosed that suspended Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves continually tries to reach out to him, but he refuses to answer his phone calls.
Dela Rosa said he doesn’t want to entertain his calls to avoid the perception he is being influenced by the lawmaker who has left the country after being tagged as the mastermind behind the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.
Teves, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, is now seeking asylum at Timor Leste.
“Ayoko na kausapin. Sige ang tawag niya, pero ayoko na sagutin (I don’t want to talk to him. He continually calls me, but I don’t want to answer),” Dela Rosa told reporters during a press briefing at the Senate.
“Kahapon nakita ko nagri-ring cellphone ko. Pagkita ko Arnie Teves, di ko sinagot (Yesterday, I saw my phone ringing, I saw Arnie Teves, but I did not answer him),” he said.
“Pasensya ka na Arnie, kaibigan tayo pero huwag muna, break muna sa communication dahil baka mamaya may issue (I'm sorry Arnie, we’re friends, but not now, let’s take a break from any communication as this can raise issues). I want to stay as clean as I can be,” the senator added.
Asked if it's possible for Teves to seek asylum with Timor Leste, Dela Rosa shrugged, saying that would only be possible if he is able to convince officials of the said country.
“Ayaw niya umuwi, yun lang ibig sabihin nun (He doesn’t want to go back here, that’s what it is),” Dela Rosa said.
But as far as he is concerned, Teves is not being politically persecuted by the Senate and is in fact, being accorded sufficient time to answer the allegations against him.
“Depende kung mabola pa niya yung (it depends if he can still convince) Timor Leste when he says he is being ‘politically persecuted in my country.’ Baka ma grant sa kanya, depende kung mabola niya (He might be granted asylum, but it depends if he can convince them),” Dela Rosa said.
“Bakit may politics ba sa hearing ko? Pinapakinggan naman natin yung side niya ah (Is politics part of our hearing? We are also listening to his side),” the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief pointed out.
“Wala akong nakikita (na he is politically persecuted), purely legislation itong ginagawa natin. Hindi naman tayo gumagawa ng propaganda against him. Pinapakinggan lang natin yung lumalabas, then nagre-react tayo sa sinasabi nila (I do not see that he is being politically persecuted, what we are doing is purely legislation. We’re not doing any propaganda against him. We are just listening to what was being narrated by the witnesses, then we react to what they say),” he explained.
The senator said it would be best if Teves would just return to the country to face the allegations against him before the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, which he chairs.
“Usap tayo dito, makipagkita ka dito (sa atin) (Let’s talk here, just appear here),” he said.