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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Teves acquittal not linked to Negros Oriental governor's murder, Cong Degamo clarifies

Teves acquittal not linked to Negros Oriental governor's murder, Cong Degamo clarifies

Published Jan 17, 2026 04:26 pm

At A Glance

  • Former Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves isn't off the hook in connection with the assassination of provincial governor Roel Degamo nearly three years ago.
Former Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves (Screenshot from Facebook live)
Former Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves (Screenshot from Facebook live)


Former Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves isn't off the hook in connection with the assassination of provincial governor Roel Degamo nearly three years ago.
Congresswoman Janice Degamo, the current district representative, was compelled to make this clarification Saturday, Jan. 17 after Teves received an acquittal in court--but on another murder case.
"We clarify that the recent news about the acquittal of former Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. refers to a separate 2019 murder case in Dumaguete City and has no connection whatsoever to the multiple murder cases arising from the Pamplona, Negros Oriental massacre on March 4, 2023, where Governor Roel Degamo and several others were killed," Rep. Degamo said in a Facebook post.
"The multiple murder cases arising from the Pamplona massacre remain pending and actively prosecuted in another court in Manila. The decision of acquittal issued by the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 15, does not absolve Mr. Teves of responsibility for those crimes," she noted.
In a separate post, the congresswoman said: "While this news is painful and difficult to accept, it does not erase the fact that there are still multiple court trials ongoing, for other 2019 murder cases and for the Pamplona Massacre that took the life of Roel. Those proceedings continue, and so does our pursuit of accountability."
This notwithstanding, Rep. Degamo said that she "stand[s] in solidarity with the families of all the victims".
"I remain committed to supporting them as they continue to seek justice through the proper legal processes. Our pain is shared, our resolve is collective, and our voices will not be silenced by setbacks along the way," she said.
"Justice is not always swift, and it is never easy, but I believe it will prevail. For my husband. For every victim. For every family left behind. We will continue to hope, to endure, and to fight for truth and justice," she further said.
She was serving as mayor when her husband, the governor was gunned down by heavily armed men outside their home in Pamplona, Negros Oriental.
The Degamos and Teveses are political rivals in the province.
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