Detained ex-Rep Arnie Teves set for transfer from Bilibid to Taguig City facility -- NBI
Detained former Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo A. Teves Jr. will be transferred to the Special Intensive Care Area (SICA) detention facility in Taguig City, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Wednesday, June 11.
Since his deportation from Timor-Leste, Teves has been detained at the NBI’s facility at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago told journalists that he has instructed the bureau’s intelligence division and detention facility “to immediately commit the person of Former Congressman Arnolfo A. Teves to the SICA (now Metro Manila District Jail), Annex 2 BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology) Compound, Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City.”
Santiago said the two branches of the Manila regional trial court (RTC) – Branches 12 and 51 – which have arraigned Teves on criminal charges filed against him -- have issued “the commitment orders.”
Teves is facing before Manila (RTC) Branch 51 charges of 10 counts of murder, 13 counts of frustrated murder, and five counts of attempted murder.
The charges stemmed from the March 4, 2023 shooting in Pamplona, Negros Oriental that resulted in the deaths of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine other persons.
Teves is also facing charges of one count of murder and illegal possession of firearms and explosives before Manila RTC Branch 12.
When arraigned before the two RTC branches, Teves refused to enter and plea and thus the trial court judges ordered the entry of “not guilty.”
Other charges lodged against Teves include one count of murder each before Manila RTC Branch 15 and Bayawan City RTC Branch 63; and two cases of violation of Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 before Quezon City RTC Branch 77.
Arraignment on Teves’ other criminal cases has yet to be ordered by the trial courts where they were filed.