Ex-Philippine lawmaker's arrest in East Timor seen as linked to Asean membership
East Timor, in a move that analysts say is a sign of Dili's desire to resolve an extradition dispute with Manila ahead of its expected entry into
Asean
Arnolfo Teves Jnr was apprehended in Dili in a joint operation by East Timorese police and immigration officials at his residence in the capital on Tuesday night, his son confirmed in a post on social media on Wednesday.
Teves, who has been on the run for more than a year, is wanted in
the Philippines over the killing of Roel Degamo, then-governor of Negros Oriental, in March 2023. He faces multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.
He left the country days before Degamo's assassination, citing medical reasons, and later sought political asylum in East Timor. The application was rejected, but Teves remained in the country amid a prolonged legal battle over his extradition.
His lawyer in Dili, José Ximenes, denounced the arrest as unlawful, claiming it had been carried out without a valid warrant. 'The arrest carried out by authorities is inhumane and illegal,' Ximenes told local reporters.
The Philippines' Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Wednesday it was ready to arrange Teves' return 'by the most expeditious means' but was awaiting clarity on the matter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Philippines assures China of restraint after ship clashes – will tensions ease?
Maritime tensions between the Philippines and China have entered what analysts describe as a risky and potentially volatile phase after an accidental collision between two Chinese vessels near Scarborough Shoal, one of the most contested features in the South China Sea The rare mishap involving the vessels from the Chinese coastguard and navy during a high-speed chase of a Philippine coastguard ship has raised the risk of Beijing adopting a more aggressive posture as it seeks to save face, potentially leading to further tensions in the disputed waters, according to analysts. Chester Cabalza, founding president of the International Development and Security Cooperation think tank in Manila, said the Chinese coastguard and navy could 'launch a thousand assets from the sea, cyber, air, and ground to redeem its military image in the region' because of the 'embarrassing collision'. Nonetheless, officials in Manila reaffirmed the Philippines' intention to exercise restraint while defending its sovereignty in response to the incident on August 11 and other subsequent maritime activities involving Chinese vessels. 'We will not be intimidated. And we will continue to have our presence felt to protect and defend sovereignty in our jurisdiction,' said Undersecretary Alexander Lopez, spokesman for the National Maritime Council, the government's coordinating and policymaking body on maritime concerns, during a press briefing on Monday. Borrowing a line from President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr , Lopez said: 'Now, we do not intensify operations, we just respond.'
South China Morning Post
13 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Australia, Philippines stage largest-ever drills: ‘denial of China's aggression'
Off the shores of Palawan, more than 3,600 troops from Australia and the Philippines are taking part in their largest-ever military drills, marking a decisive shift in Canberra's Indo-Pacific security strategy. Advertisement Exercise Alon, launched on Friday, is taking place less than 300 nautical miles (555km) from the Philippine-held Thitu Island in the Spratly archipelago – an area at the heart of escalating territorial disputes in the South China Sea Beijing claims the Spratly island group alongside almost all of the contested waterway – claims disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, among others. Named after the Filipino word for 'wave', Alon encompasses live-fire drills, amphibious landings, air support operations and special forces manoeuvres. Among the Australian assets deployed are a guided-missile destroyer, F/A-18 fighter jets, Javelin anti-tank missiles and C-130 transport aircraft. Australian troops gesture as Philippine frigate BRP Jose Rizal sails past the Australian destroyer HMAS Brisbane during Exercise Alon earlier this month. Photo: Australia's Defence Department Observers from the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Indonesia are attending the drills, which are scheduled to conclude on August 29. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Philippines reports Chinese ship surge at Scarborough Shoal after ‘embarrassing' collision
The Philippine government has reported a marked increase in Chinese maritime activity near Scarborough Shoal, intensifying a stand-off over the disputed South China Sea atoll. Officials in Manila have characterised the build-up as an attempt by Beijing to reassert control after two Chinese ships collided last week during a chase involving a Philippine vessel. On Sunday, the National Maritime Council cited the Philippine Navy's latest assessment, reporting that as of Thursday, seven Chinese coastguard vessels and 13 maritime militia ships were deployed near Scarborough Shoal. The Philippines, by contrast, had a single ship in the area: the BRP Teresa Magbanua. The council did not provide figures for previous deployments but described the current numbers as a clear escalation. 'Maybe this is one of their ways to twist what happened because that was very embarrassing for them, and they want to project again that they're in control to cover up the issue,' said Alexander Lopez, a spokesman for the council. 03:09 Chinese ships collide during clash with Philippine coastguard in contested South China Sea Chinese ships collide during clash with Philippine coastguard in contested South China Sea Despite being heavily outnumbered, Lopez insisted that Manila would maintain its measured approach in the West Philippine Sea – the Philippine term for areas of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone – and would refrain from deploying navy warships to Scarborough Shoal to avoid further provocation.
