Teves A No-Show Despite House Ultimatum; Claims He’s Not In Hiding

Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. failed to heed the 24-hour ultimatum of the ethics committee of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, March 21, prompting members of the panel to make a report and refer it to the plenary for final action.

Panel chairman Rep. Felimon Espares refused to divulge their recommendations, except to say it was a “unanimous” decision on the part of their 17 members, and that they will forward it to the House committee on rules for final approval.

In a video message posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday night, Teves bewailed the decision of the committee, saying he wanted to be part of the proceedings via Zoom but was not allowed. He reiterated he did not have a hand in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo but was being made the sacrificial lamb by political enemies and people involved in online cockfighting or e-sabong.

Teves said he refused to believe that even Malacañang or President Marcos wanted him pinned down as the one behind Degamo’s assassination on March 4.

But Espares said earlier “the continuing failure of Teves to appear before this panel leaves us with no choice but to wrap up our report without his defense.”

“We will transmit this to the plenary for appropriate action,” Espares told House reporters in a short briefing.

“The ultimatum for him to personally appear before us had already lapsed,” he reiterated.

“The committee, however, is not at liberty to disclose its report pending our submission to the plenary. The report and recommendations will be discussed in the plenary,” Espares said, noting that today, March 22, will be the last day of sessions as both Senate and Congress will go on a Lenten break from today until May 8.

“It’s up to the committee on rules to make the announcement. The ethics committee already made its decision,” he added, saying the rules panel may not uphold their recommendations, which is why they are keeping their report secret.

Rep. Rosanna Vergara of Nueva Ecija explained to journalists that Teves – who is reportedly in the United States – is deemed “absent” since his Feb. 28 travel authority expired last March 9, and that he was not given any extension. “As far as this committee is concerned, he has not appeared,” she told newsmen.

Nevertheless, Espares said it would be best if Teves makes a personal appearance before the House plenary decides on his fate. “House rules state that a member whose travel authority was not extended are not allowed to join. Physical appearance is thus required.”

A House member hinted though that the recommendation was just a reprimand for Teves, implying that they have no choice but to follow procedures in light of the fact that this is just a violation or defiance that may be considered as a first offense.

This means that lawmakers cannot recommend either suspension or expulsion.

Teves calls for fairness

In his video message, Teves claimed that he was named mastermind in the Degamo slay case before gathering evidence to fit the supposed script to pin him down.

“Cong. Teves” was tagged as the mastermind behind the governor’s death by two suspects in National Bureau of Investigation custody.

Teves primarily called out the lack of security in Degamo’s compound. Supposedly, on the day of the governor’s death, most of Degamo’s security detail were not present.

After claiming that compound guards and dogs seemed to know the attackers, Teves stressed that authorities should also consider Degamo’s friends and family as culprits instead of solely focusing on him.

“Let’s look at the angle of Degamo’s associates and family. It’s unfair that it is only focused on one person…That’s unfair,” he said.

Teves also addressed the raid last March 11 wherein members of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) seized various firearms and explosives in properties belonging to him.

In connection with 2019 killings in Negros Oriental, the raid was carried out due to “spurious documents” according to Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos.

Echoing his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio’s pronouncements, Teves said he had been aware of the raid since January, and claimed that any firearms and explosives found were not his due to this.

“Who would be stupid to leave any illegal firearms or explosives knowing that the raid was coming? We weren’t born yesterday…Do you think I would leave any illegal items assuming I had that? Of course not, why would I do so knowing that the raid was coming,” he stressed in Filipino.

He also expressed doubts that he would get ample security once he returns home to face the charges against him.

Watch Teves’ video message here: https://fb.watch/jqt5qyB83a/

4 ex-soldiers surrender

Four former soldiers who were part of the team that carried out the deadly assault against Degamo that also killed eight others have surrendered to authorities, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday, leaving at least three remaining participants at large.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the soldiers surrendered to the Army with the help of an active officer and are expected to be transported to Manila last night and turned over to the DOJ this morning.

The four ex-soldiers, he said, are “major players” in the conspiracy to kill Degamo.

Remulla said almost all of the people involved in the attack are now in custody except for one to three individuals. Including the four new surrenderees, the DOJ would have nine suspects in the Degamo case.

The Justice Secretary added that the surrendered individuals underwent debriefing, but only for military intelligence purposes.

“They arranged for their own surrender,” he said.

Meanwhile, Remulla also revealed that shortly after he learned of the recent surrender, Rep. Teves sent him a message for the first time on Monday, March 20.

Remulla made it clear that he will only speak to Teves in front of other people to avoid any misinterpretation of his words.

“I received a text message from him (Teves) (on Monday) and I don’t want to speak to somebody without another person present because I don’t want words to be twisted, so if I talked to him, it would be in front of other people,” he said, stressing that he hasn’t returned communication with the congressman.

“He wants to talk to me but I haven’t given an answer. I don’t know if he’s already here. I saw the message after I saw the other message that the four surrendered. I don’t want to be distracted. First, I want to focus on the surrender, what happened… and that the whole team that attacked governor Degamo is accounted for,” he added.

Allegations

The Philippine National Police (PNP) denied that police officers forced a private secretary of Teves testify against the lawmaker for the murder of Degamo.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo on Tuesday belied the allegations of Hannah Mae Oray that Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) operatives threatened her with detention if she will not pin down Teves in the killing of Degamo.

“It has never been the practice of the PNP to force a person to implicate an individual,” Fajardo told reporters in an interview.

Oray filed a complaint before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) against members of the CIDG over her alleged ordeal after she and her husband were arrested during the raids on Teves’ properties.

Refuting her allegations, Fajardo said Oray’s rights were observed while she was in police custody.

Fajardo said Oray’s lawyers and siblings were allowed to visit her in detention.

“There was no moment or instance that the CIDG hurt or forced her to implicate particularly Cong. Teves,” Fajardo said.

Fajardo said Oray should file charges so the CIDG can answer the allegations in the proper forum.

Gov’t assistance

The government has provided educational, livelihood and medical assistance to families of victims affected by the shooting that claimed the lives of Degamo and eight others, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the administration has given educational assistance to seven high school and college students.

It has also provided employment assistance to seven individuals in the areas of hospitality management, education and social sciences, and a livelihood package or retail store.

The Office of the Vice President has extended P40,000 worth of burial assistance, P140,000 worth of hospitalization assistance and P50,000 worth of cash aid to victims of the shooting incident. It has also shouldered P160,000 worth of hospital bills of people who were injured during the attack.

The social welfare department has also provided P70,000 worth of burial assistance, P110,000 in cash aid, 19 food packs, P70,000 worth of food assistance and P43,740 worth of medical assistance to affected families.

“The Marcos-Duterte administration provided immediate assistance to the victims of the shooting in Negros Oriental on March 4, 2023,” the PCO said.

“The government ensured that the families of those who were wounded and those who were killed in the tragedy are supported by providing them educational, employment and livelihood assis-tance, food packs, cash aid and other forms of support,” it added.

President Marcos has vowed to bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack, which he described as “terrifying” and “entirely unacceptable.”

He has also ordered authorities to identify “hot spots” and to conduct a crackdown on private armies and illegal firearms. – With Neil Jayson Servallos, Emmanuel Tupas, Alexis Romero