“Baloney.” “Basura (garbage).”
This was how Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla brushed aside the allegations hurled against him by suspended Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” A. Teves Jr. who has been tagged as “one of the masterminds” in the killing of Gov. Roel R. Degamo on March 4, 2023.
Among other issues, the camp of Teves has alleged that one of the detained suspects in the killings of Degamo and nine other persons has been offered “millions of pesos” to testify against the legislator.
Teves had also dared Remulla to resign his Cabinet post if the secretary could not prove his previous pronouncements that the former applied for citizenship in Timor-Leste.
In an interview with journalists on Thursday afternoon, June 8, Remulla said: “I don’t have to prove anything here.”
“Siya (Teves) ‘yung kailangan niya i-prove kung kaya niya humarap sa charges (He is to prove that he can face the charges against him),” Remulla declared.
He then reiterated his call for Teves to return to the Philippines and face the complaint for 10 counts of murder, 14 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
“May subpoena siya. Dapat malaman ng taong bayan na pinapatawag po siya ng mga alagad ng batas upang magpaliwanag sa mga krimen na ibinibintang sa kanya sa pagkamatay ng maraming tao. Ito po ang sagutin niya (A subpoena has been issued against him. The public should know that he is being summoned by authorities to explain his involvement in the crime concerning the deaths of many people),” he stressed.
“Umuwi siya (Just come home). Face the music. Madami siyang sinabi (He talks too much),” he also said.