Latest news with #ArnolfoTevesJr
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Ex-Filipino congressman accused of murders to be deported
Under arrest: Teves being escorted by Timorese security personnel for deportation to the Philippines at Nicolau Lobato airport in Dili. — AFP The country said it would deport a former Filipino congressman charged with multiple murders in the Philippines and added that he was a national security threat whose presence could damage the country's image ahead of its entry to Asean. Ex-Rep Arnolfo Teves Jr was arrested in Timor-Leste's capital Dili on Wednesday by immigration authorities and would immediately be deported to the Philippines for staying without a visa and after his passport was cancelled by Manila's Department of Foreign Affairs, the Timor-Leste government said in a statement. Teves has been staying in Dili for more than two years as he tried to seek asylum, straining relations between the two South-East Asian democracies. The Philippines has been calling on Timor-Leste to repatriate Teves to face trial. The Department of Justice in Manila welcomed Timor-Leste's decision yesterday and said it has designated a team of justice and immigration officials to help repatriate Teves. Timor-Leste said in a statement that Teves' presence in the country was 'unacceptable' and his stay for more than two years 'poses a disruptive factor in bilateral relations between the two states, establishing a serious precedent with potential implications for internal security. Teves has been sought by the Philippine government in connection with the March 2023 killings of Negros Oriental Gov Roel Degamo and several other people, including impoverished villagers seeking medical aid from him, by men in military camouflage and body armour who barged into his central Philippine home with assault rifles. At least 17 others were wounded in the brazen attack, which was captured on security cameras. Teves has denied involvement in the killings, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who was backed by Degamo, then called 'purely political'. — AP
Arab Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab Times
East Timor to deport ex-Filipino congressman accused of masterminding governor's murder
DILI, East Timor, May 29, (AP): East Timor said Thursday it would deport a former Filipino congressman charged with multiple murders in the Philippines and added that he was a national security threat whose presence could damage the country's image ahead of its entry to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Ex-Rep Arnolfo Teves Jr was arrested in East Timor's capital of Dili on Wednesday by immigration authorities and would immediately be deported to the Philippines for staying without a visa and after his passport was cancelled by Manila's Department of Foreign Affairs, the East Timor government said in a statement. East Timor did not immediately specify a date for the deportation of Teves, who has been staying in Dili for more than two years as he tried to seek asylum, straining relations between the two Southeast Asian democracies. The Philippines has been calling on East Timor to repatriate Teves to face trial. The Department of Justice in Manila on Thursday welcomed East Timor's decision and said it has designated a team of justice and immigration officials to help repatriate Teves. East Timor said in a statement that Teves' presence in the country was "unacceptable' and his stay for more than two years "poses a disruptive factor in bilateral relations between the two states and establishes a serious precedent with potential implications for internal security.' "The perception that Timor-Leste might be viewed as a refuge for individuals fleeing international justice undermines the integrity of our borders and our shared efforts to combat transnational crime,' East Timor said, using the country's formal name. "The imminent full accession of Timor-Leste to ASEAN, scheduled for October this year, further reinforces the responsibility of the Timorese state to actively collaborate with its regional partners in upholding justice, legality, and stability in the region,' according to East Timor. East Timor President José Ramos-Horta told The Associated Press in an interview in Dili in September that there was "no possibility, under the law' that Teves would be able to remain in East Timor and that he would likely be sent back to the Philippines after his appeal to gain asylum had been exhausted.
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
No more Timor-Leste ‘paradise' for Filipino fugitive Teves
MANILA: Timor-Leste ordered the return of expelled lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr to the Philippines in an 'administrative decision' that tagged him as an undocumented alien facing multiple criminal complaints and thus posing 'threats' to the island state's national security and interests. 'The Government of Timor-Leste believes that the presence of Filipino citizen Arnolfo Teves Jr in its territory, who is suspected of having committed several serious crimes and has been formally charged by the judicial authorities of the Republic of the Philippines — a member country of Asean, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations—represents a serious and unacceptable situation,' the Timorese government said in a statement on Wednesday (May 28). Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta earlier said the country should not become a 'paradise' for fugitives. 'His extended stay in Timor-Leste for over two years poses a disruptive factor in bilateral relations between the two States and establishes a serious precedent with potential implications for internal security,' the Timor-Leste government said. 'The perception that Timor-Leste might be viewed as a refuge for individuals fleeing international justice undermines the integrity of our borders and our shared efforts to combat transnational crime,' it added. The government also cited its imminent full accession to Asean, scheduled for October this year, which 'further reinforces the responsibility of the Timorese State to actively collaborate with its regional partners in upholding justice, legality, and stability in the region.' 'The decision, which takes effect immediately, is based on national legislation regarding migration and asylum and is grounded in the risks that this citizen's continued presence poses to public order and national security,' it said. Noting Teves' multiple criminal cases in the Philippines, the Timorese government said it also decided to prohibit him from entering the national territory for a period of 10 years. More than two months ago, a Timorese court denied the Philippine government's request to extradite Teves, who is the subject of an Interpol red notice and accused of masterminding the assassination of his political rival, former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, in March 2023. Local reports in Dili, however, quoted Ramos-Horta as saying that the earlier court ruling rejecting Teves' extradition was now immaterial, and that Teves is no longer eligible for political asylum. 'If he is not eligible for asylum, if there is an Interpol warrant, and if the Philippine authorities are requesting that we enforce the Interpol mandate, it would be a serious irresponsibility on the part of this country not to comply with the request from Interpol and the Philippine authorities,' Ramos-Horta said in Portuguese during a press conference on May 27, as quoted by local reports. He also said he does not want Teves to remain in the country for reasons of national interest. 'Regardless of all legal and constitutional considerations, there is one issue that all countries in the world observe: the national interest,' Ramos-Horta said. 'The national interest is what imposes, what determines and, in this case, we are not interested in someone of that nature, to prevent East Timor from becoming a paradise for all those who commit crimes in the region,' he added. Outgoing Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, widow of the slain governor, has welcomed news of the arrest. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, she said the arrest marks a 'significant step' in a high-profile case that has spanned borders and renewed demands for accountability in the 2023 murder of her husband and nine others. 'This arrest is a significant step toward justice, not only for our family, but for the people of Negros Oriental and the entire nation … Let this serve as a reminder that no one is above the law,' said Janice, who was elected representative of the province's third district in the midterm elections. 'We now look forward to the proper legal proceedings that will bring lasting peace to our province and long overdue justice for my beloved Roel and the hundreds of others who suffered at the hands of the Teves Terrorist Group,' she added. Roel Degamo was killed by assailants while attending to the needs of his constituents inside his residential compound in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental, on March 4, 2023. Nine other persons were also killed during the attack which was captured on closed-circuit television. Teves, who was tagged by witnesses as the mastermind in the massacre, has sought asylum in Timor-Leste after fleeing the Philippines. Philippine authorities had requested for his extradition but the Court of Appeal in Timor-Leste rejected the request last March, citing Article 35 (3) of the Timorese Constitution, which bars extradition if an individual 'faces a credible risk of torture or inhumane treatment.' With Teves' rearrest, however, Timor-Leste authorities signalled a shift in stance. Ferdinand Topacio, Teves' lawyer, however, claimed that Timor-Leste's Court of Appeal has granted his client's petition for a writ of habeas corpus, directing authorities to produce him in court within 48 hours. But the Department of Justice (DOJ) could not immediately verify this. Topacio told reporters earlier Wednesday that immigration police took his client from his residence in Dili around 8pm (local time), along with his Timorese counsel, Joao Serra. According to Topacio, no arrest warrant was presented, nor was any reason given by immigration officers for the rearrest. Videos posted by his son Axel showed the former congressman being forcefully taken from his home by men believed to be Timor-Leste police and immigration officers. 'They just picked him up without documents, without warrants or any form of legal documents. They just came in forcefully, took him out forcefully,' Axel said in a video uploaded on Wednesday. He decried the arrest as unlawful and insisted his father had 'already won the extradition case before the Timor-Leste court.' The DOJ, meanwhile, said it was still awaiting official communication from the Timor-Leste government regarding the basis of Teves' detention and the procedure for his return to the Philippines. 'While we welcome the recent pronouncements from Timor-Leste indicating a renewed position that Teves should not remain in their territory, we await their action — whether he would simply be deported for being an undocumented foreigner or extradited forthwith pursuant to our pending application,' the DOJ said. It reiterated that the Philippines has long been ready to bring Teves home to face charges, noting that the initial grant of its extradition request was later 'unexpectedly reversed,' stalling the process. Nonetheless, the DOJ said it remains 'ready and committed to bring Teves to justice in accordance with the rule of law and the principles of international cooperation.' Teves also faces charges for the killings of three other individuals between March and June 2019, and violations of firearms and explosives laws after authorities recovered high-powered weapons and ammunition from his family's compound. In June 2023, the Anti-Terrorism Council designated Teves and his armed group as a terrorist organization, naming both the group and its members as terrorist entities. He was expelled from the House of Representatives in August 2023 for disorderly conduct after repeatedly refusing to return to the country despite the expiration of his travel authority. In February 2024, the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51 ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs to immediately cancel his passport. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
