Ex-congressman Teves mulls court challenge on his expulsion
At A Glance
- Expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" A. Teves Jr. may challenge before the courts his removal as member of the House of Representatives.

Expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” A. Teves Jr
Expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” A. Teves Jr. may challenge before the courts his removal as member of the House of Representatives.
Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, Teves’ counsel, said: “We are studying all our options and we will avail of all the legal remedies available to us.”
Teves was expelled as member of Congress in 265 votes on congressmen who acted on the recommendation of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
In an interview over CNN Philippines on Thursday, Aug. 17, Topacio said that the ruling on Teves’ expulsion should have been put on hold because of his unresolved petition before the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) and a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB).
The ATC had earlier declared Teves a “terrorist.”
“Based on the provision of the own rules of the House Committee which states that if the same matters under their consideration is pending before a judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative body then the ethics committee should defer action on the complaint,” Topacio said.
“Matters pending before the Anti-Terrorism Council and the Ombudsman are the same matters that they used as grounds for the expulsion,” he pointed out.
“They completely ignored it and glossed over it,” he lamented.
Teves has been charged with multiple murder for the killings of three persons in Negros Oriental in 2019. The charges were filed before the Negros Oriental regional trial court (RTC) by prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
There is also a complaint for multiple murder against Teves before the DOJ in connection with the slaying of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel R. Degamo. The killing also resulted in the deaths of nine other persons and injuries to 18 others.
The complaint in the Degamo killing is still pending resolution by a DOJ’s panel of prosecutor.
Teves has repeatedly denied allegations against him in the 2019 killings and in the Degamo slaying. He has been abroad even after the expiration of his travel authority on March 9, 2023.