DOJ mobilizes team for repatriation of Arnie Teves
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday said it has mobilized a team to assist in the repatriation of former Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo 'Arnie' Teves Jr., the alleged mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo, to the Philippines from Timor-Leste.
In a statement, the DOJ said the team will be composed of representatives from the Justice Department, the Bureau of Immigration, and the National Bureau of Investigation.
'As we await the arrival of Mr. Teves, the Philippine Government assures the public and the international community that due process will be strictly observed, and that justice will be pursued without fear or favor,' the DOJ said.
Last night, the Timor-Leste government said it will deport Teves as he has been in the country without a valid visa and legal authorization to stay.
The DOJ said that the administrative deportation decision includes a 10-year ban on re-entry and is grounded in Timor-Leste's domestic laws on migration and asylum as well as 'respect for the principles of international cooperation and ASEAN solidarity.'
'The Government of Timor-Leste emphasized that harboring fugitives undermines efforts to combat transnational crime and disrupts diplomatic relations between sovereign states,' the DOJ said.
Teves' legal counsel, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, said that Teves has left Timor-Leste.
'That much is verified, although I do not have the details as of now,' Topacio said in a message to members of the media.
GMA News Online has sought confirmation from the DOJ and the BI.
The former lawmaker is facing multiple murder charges over the killing of Degamo and nine others on March 4, 2023 at the Degamo residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental.
Teves and others have also been charged with the alleged killings of three individuals in Negros Oriental in 2019.
He and 12 others have also been designated as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council, citing several alleged killings and harassment in Negros Oriental.
He was expelled by the House of Representatives in August last year for disorderly conduct and continued absence.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
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