The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday called on Timor Leste authorities for the immediate deportation or extradition of ousted Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., following news reports that his son allegedly bribed a member of Timor Leste’s police force in exchange for special treatment of his detained father.
According to reports from the Hutahan news site, the son of Teves offered a USD2,000 (over PHP114,000) bribe to a Criminal Investigation Police (PCIC) member in exchange for “security” inside and outside Becora Prison.
“As a result, calls for the immediate extradition or deportation of Teves has intensified in Timor Leste to prove to the international community that the country does not harbor international fugitives,” the DOJ said in a statement.
Teves is currently in pre-trial detention at Becora Prison following his arrest in March by Timorese authorities acting on a red notice issued by the International Criminal Police Organization.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday refuted statements made by the Teves’ defense counsel that prosecutors tampered with witnesses in the ongoing case of the murder of Governor Roel Degamo and nine others.
“I can confirm that this statement is completely misleading,” DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano said of the allegations by Teves’ counsel Ferdinand Topacio that the DOJ has been “tampering” with two arrested conspirators in the case due to the absence of legal counsels.
“The evidence is strong, and we just want to finally be able to present it in court and have the court decide on the guilt of the perpetrator. This case is more than just a case of multiple murders, it is a massacre of a sitting Governor. It is a massacre of innocent bystanders,” he said in a statement.
Clavano urged Teves to just return to the Philippines and face the charges against him. “The people don’t need this kind of roundabout. He should face the case, face the court,” he added.
Teves is fighting his deportation back to the Philippines and has remained in Timor-Leste where he was arrested last March based on a red notice issued by the International Criminal Police Organization.
The former lawmaker is facing 10 counts of murder, 12 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 51 in relation to the March 4, 2023 shootings in Pamplona town. The trial court had issued an arrest order against him. (PNA)
