Pryde Henry Teves eyes appeal vs. designation as terrorist

Former Negros Oriental Governor Pryde Henry Teves on Tuesday said he is planning to appeal the resolution of the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) which tagged him as a terrorist over several alleged killings and harassment in his province.

“My lawyer called me and said that they are studying the law because this is a new law, how we can appeal it ... if it’s appealable, and where to appeal it,” Pryde Henry told Super Radyo dzBB.

“Kailangan kong i-appeal yan dahil (I really need to appeal that because) it will really give me a hard time in making a living,” he added.

He said the ATC’s decision came as a shock and depressing for him because he has to leave his daily grind, which supports his family.

Pryde Henry pointed out that he was also a victim of terrorist acts before that almost cost his life so he will not engage in such activities.

According to him, he will not leave the province and will not go into hiding.

Noting his previous actions since the start of the investigation, Pryde Henry said, “I never intended to run. I never will.”

In a separate statement, Pryde Henry’s lawyer Atty. Raymund Fortun said they will use legal remedies to remove his client from the list of designated terrorists.

“We will avail of legal remedies for delisting under the Anti-Terror Law. We are hopeful that the reasons we provide will be favorably considered,” he said.

“Gov. Pryde Teves was a victim of a terroristic act in 2005. Of all people, he would be the last person to embrace acts which almost cost him his life,” he added.

‘Terrorists’

The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) earlier designated him, his brother Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., and 11 others as terrorists for several alleged killings and harassment in the province.

Arnie was tagged as the mastermind behind the attack on the late Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo on March 4. Degamo and eight others were killed while several others were injured in the attack. The death toll later climbed to 10.

Approved on July 26, ATC’s Resolution Number 43 tagged as terrorists the following individuals who allegedly violated some provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act:

• Congressman Arnolfo "Arnie" Alipit Teves, Jr.
• Pryde Henry A. Teves
• Marvin H. Miranda
• Rogelio C. Antipolo
• Rommel Pattaguan
• Winrich B. Isturis
• John Louie Gonyon
• Daniel Lora
• Eulogio Gonyon Jr.
• Tomasino Aledro
• Nigel Electona
• Jomarie Catubay
• Hannah Mae Sumero Oray

The ATC said their violations include committing terrorism; planning, training, preparing and facilitating the commission of terrorism; recruitment to and membership in a terrorist organization; and providing material support to terrorists.

Atty. Russel Miraflora, lawyer of Antipolo, Pataguan and Lora, said his clients never committed terrorist acts as the lawyer called the ATC’s action a part of the government’s “persecutions” against Arnie Teves.

“Our clientele never committed acts of terrorism so as they can be designated as terrorist,” Miraflora said.

“It is very clear thay what is being offered by the ATC to the previous press briefing can be dubbed as part of the persecutions by the government against Cong Teves and against those who are alleged to be acquainted to him,” he added.

Electona’s lawyer, Atty. Michael Mella, said the designation of his client as terrorist has no factual and legal anchorage. He also questioned the ATC for citing Electona’s Degamo case for the designation.

“It smacks of oppression, abuse of power and the exact paradigm of capricious disregard of due process of law. A reading of all the malicious charges against my client would show that the allegations in support thereof are very shallow, twisted, obviously contrived and based on planted and fabricated evidence,’ he said.

For the lawyer of Isturis and the Gonyons, Atty. Jord Valenton, the designation “appears to be putting the cart before the horse,” as he pointed out that there is still a big gap in the investigation.

“Admittedly, armed men appear in the CCTV to have committed the gruesome acts. There are big and lingering questions though,” Valenton, said.

“Has anybody sufficiently established a connection between those armed men and my clients, whom the officers arrested? How were the officers able to determine that it was my clients, when the faces of the armed men were covered with bonnets? How did they know when My clients were not wearing at the time of the arrest what the armed men were wearing in the CCTV footage? How did the officers know when There also was a big time difference between the tragedy and the arrest?”

“There just is a big gap that has yet to be bridged, and yet this one,” he added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News