Fugitive ex-congressman Teves Jr. still in Timor Leste -- DOJ
Expelled Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo “Arnie” A. Teves Jr. is still in Timor Leste, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Friday, Sept. 29.
“Alam naman natin na nandoon talaga siya sa Timor Leste (We always knew that he is in Timor Leste)” and ngayon (now) it's without a doubt," DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV said.
Clavano said the DOJ has received a statement from former senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao' camp which confirmed that the retired boxing icon met Teves in Timor Leste or East Timor.
“Siya lang ay sinalubong lang sa airport at nagpakita doon sa mga events na pinuntahan ni former Senator Manny (Teves went to the airport to meet Pacquiao and even went to the events attended by the former senator),” Clavano also said.
He said that Pacquiao was invited to go to Timor Leste by its government. He assured that the meeting between Pacquiao and Teves was only by chance and never arranged.
“Sa tingin po namin these are not in any way sanctioned by their government sa pagpunta ni former Cong. Arnie Teves (We think that the meeting was not sanctioned by the Timor Leste government),” he added.
With the confirmation that Teves is in Timor Letes, Clavano said: "We will further intensify our operations to speed up the process.”
“Kami po ay nagrecommend sa Malacanang na sulatan na ang UN (We have recommended to Malacanang to write the United Nations concerning Teves),” he disclosed.
He noted that while the Philippines and Timor Leste have fruitful cooperation and coordination, the two countries have no extradition treaty. Timor Leste had been reported to have denied Teves' plea for political asylum.
Teves has an arrest order issued by the Manila regional trial court (RTC) in the multiple murder, multiple frustrated murder, and multiple attempted murder filed against him for the deaths of 10 persons, one of them Negros Oriental Gov. Roel R. Degamo, and injuries sustained by 18 other persons in the March 4, 2023 killings in Pamplona town.
He had been suspected twice as member of Congress and later expelled as a legislator.