House ethics panel to take its time in recommending new penalty vs Teves
Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. (Facebook)
The House Committee on Ethics and Privileges doesn't appear to be in hurry to recommend a third penalty against the Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., who remains absent without official leave. Panel vice chairman, Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon told House reporters in a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 1 that the body's investigation on Teves' case will continue. There might not be a new recommendation for action against Teves in one or two weeks, he added. "We are not yet in the discussion as to the penalty that can be recommended by the Committee on Ehtics, but again as we mentioned a while ago, that there will be a continuing investigation as to the case being faced by Congressman Arnie Teves," he said. "So probably at the proper time, the committee will discuss and...will be, in the proper time, we will be discussing what will be the appropriate sanction of the committee," added Bongalon. Asked when a new penalty could be handed down, he said, "Probably in one or two weeks, so, it depends." Just before the pressed briefing, the committee convened to once again "take jurisdiction" of Teves' case. The Negros Oriental lawmaker's second 60-day suspension from the House had lapsed on Sunday, but he has yet to reappear at Batasan Complex in Quezon City. A member of the committee, Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., said he made the motion during the panel hearing to contnue the investigation "until such time that we are able to exhaust all means for us to make that strong recommendation". ""Ayaw namin na masaktan yung isang member nung House ng wala man lang tamang motibo. We’d like to really exhaust all means na talagang matibay yung batayan namin for whatever recommendation we will issue," Abante explained. (We don't to hurt a member of the House without any motive. We’d like to really exhaust all means until we have a strong basis for whatever recommendation we will issue.) Teves, who left the country last Feb. 28, has been tagged as the mastermind in the broad-daylight assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. Teves' continued refusal to come back home and report for duty in the House has been branded as "disorderly behavior" by the ethics panel.