Expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District representative Arnolfo “Arnie” A. Teves, who was arrested in Timor-Leste last March 21, would be in the Philippines "in just a matter of days" should the two governments decide to have him deported, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Friday, March 22.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Medardo G. De Lemos leads a team in Timor-Leste to escort Teves back to the Philippines.

“Mabilis ‘yun pero ang timing on that will be based on them solely. Days lang (It’s fast but the timing on that will be based on the Timor-Leste government. Teves will be in the Philippine in a matter of days),” DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV told journalists 

Clavano said operatives of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and Timor-Leste police arrested Teves at around 4 p.m. last March 21 while the expelled legislator who had also been designated terrorist was playing golf at the Top Golf Driving Range and Bar in capital city of Dili.

“Deportation kasi mas mabilis na proseso ‘yun kasi undesirable alien s’ya wala s’yang passport doon, undocumented s’ya which means he is already in violation of immigration laws (Deportation is a fast process since Teves is already an undesirable alien due to the cancelation of passport and is now undocumented which means he is already in violation of Timor-Leste immigration laws),” explained Clavano.

Currently, he said, Timor-Leste officials and the members of the Philippine delegation have ongoing discussions as to what procedure Teves will be returned to the Philippines.

Aside from deportation, Clavano said Timor-Leste and Philippine officials are also considering to have Teves extradited.

“Walang extradition treaty ang Pilipinas sa Timor-Leste (The Philippines and Timor-Leste have no extradition treaty. However, there may be a way to still request for extradition dahil d’yan sa UNTOC, UN (United Nations) Convention on Transnational Organized Crime,” Clavano said.

He explained that in the absence of an extradition treaty, “pwede pa rin mag-extradition request but it will take a bit of documentation (an extradition request can still be sought but it will take a bit of documentation).”

“We will have to comply with certain requirements sa extradition request and then the extradition request will not come in the form of an extradition treaty,” he said.

But Clavano declared: “I don’t see much that the other camp can do  to further delay the return to the Philippines.”

He recalled that the Timor-Leste government has twice denied the asylum request of Teves.

“‘Yung initial asylum request n’ya dineny. Naghain s’ya ng motion reconsideration dineny ulit po ng Timor-Leste government (His initial asylum request got denied. Teves filed a motion for reconsideration but got denied again),” said Clavano who disclosed that the second denial was made this year.

Meanwhile, Clavano said “we don’t have any information of any death threats or any security risks that Mr. Teves is facing.”

Despite this, Clavano assured that “the priority of the government is for him to face the charges the best way he can kasi kasama naman ‘yan sa due process (because that is part of due process) so it is in our best interest and his best interest na he is safe secure and healthy.”

Teves is facing charges of 10 counts of murder, 12 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 51 over the March 4, 2023 shootings in Pamplona, Negros Oriental where 10 persons were killed including provincial governor Roel Degamo.

The RTC has already issued an arrest warrant against Teves on Sept. 5, 2023 and later released an order dated Feb. 5 that directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to have his passport canceled.

That same month the Interpol issued against Teves a “red notice” which is  “a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.”

The Philippines’ Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) also announced in July last year that it designated Teves as a terrorist.