Parties to present evidence again in Arnie Teves' extradition case

Evidence will again be presented before a Timor Leste court for the government’s request to extradite former Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. back to the Philippines, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday.

In a statement, the DOJ said Teves’ camp contested the Timor Leste Court of Appeals' ruling granting the extradition request on procedural grounds and specifically questioned the number of judges involved in the decision.

“Same exact evidence is to be presented but this time before three judges,” DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano said in a message to reporters.

The Justice Department said it is confident that the outcome of the proceedings will similarly result in the grant of the Philippine government’s request.

“The legal merits are clear, and we expect that Mr. Teves will face justice in the Philippines soon, given the strong evidence against him in connection with multiple serious charges,” it said.

Sought for comment, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, the legal counsel of Teves, said that the CA of Timor Leste had nullified the previous decision allowing the extradition.

The court granted the Philippines' request for the extradition of Teves, the alleged mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and others, last June.

This prompted the Teves’ camp to file a motion for reconsideration.

‘Afterthought’

Meanwhile, the DOJ said the grounds raised by Teves’ camp were “clear afterthought” as they were only raised after the proceedings were concluded.

“Mr. Teves and his representatives were fully engaged in the proceedings, had the opportunity to present their case, and were afforded due process throughout,” it said.

“Their recent objections only arose after they failed to secure a favorable outcome,” it added.

For his part, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said they remain committed to bringing Teves home.

“No amount of underhanded tactics will derail our determination to get this fugitive home to face the murder charges. The victims need justice,” he said.

However, Topacio said the ''DOJ statement is unseemly as it casts aspersions on the judicial system of Timor Leste.''

"[The] DOJ should stop making excuses for its loss and should refrain from being a fountain of inaccurate announcements,” he added.

Teves was arrested in Timor-Leste in March based on the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) red notice issued against him in February.

A red notice is a request for law enforcement worldwide to locate and arrest a person pending his extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.

The notice stemmed from the multiple murder charges filed against Teves for the killing of Degamo, which he repeatedly denied.

Teves was released from house arrest in June.

Aside from the murder of Degamo, Teves and others have also been charged with the deaths of three individuals in Negros Oriental in 2019.

Teves 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 despite an expired travel authority. — RSJ/VBL, GMA Integrated News