Timor-Leste's Ramos-Horta cites importance of deporting Arnie Teves expeditiously - NBI

Representatives from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) met with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta following the arrest of expelled Negros Oriental lawmaker and murder suspect Arnolfo ''Arnie'' Teves Jr. in Dili on Thursday. 

During the courtesy call, Ramos-Horta ''communicated his earnest desire for the immediate resolution of the case and emphasized the importance of expeditiously removing Teves from Timor-Leste,'' the NBI said in a statement on Saturday.

Teves is now under Timor-Leste police custody and will remain there pending his deportation.

Deportation proceedings in Timor-Leste take around 40 days, but the NBI and the Department of Justice are hoping for a speedier process given his case. 

Teves, the alleged mastermind in the killing of political rival Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo on March 4, 2023, was placed on the red notice of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) 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.

NBI Director Medardo de Lemos told Ramos-Horta that the arrest of Teves exemplified their dedication to upholding the rule of law and the significance of international cooperation.

De Lemos also thanked the authorities in Timor-Leste for their ''swift action.''

''The NBI remains committed to fostering strong partnerships with its international counterparts and will continue to work closely with the authorities in Timor-Leste to monitor the extradition process of Teves, who is a fugitive and also considered an undocumented alien in Timor-Leste following the cancellation of his Philippine passport by the Department of Foreign Affairs,'' it said. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News