DOJ 'doubly confident' Timor-Leste will affirm extradition of Arnie Teves

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is “doubly confident” that Timor-Leste will affirm its earlier ruling granting the extradition request of the Philippines for former Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr.

“There’s little that they can argue in addition to what they’ve already argued before. So that’s why we are doubly confident na magkaroon ulit tayo ng [that there will be a] confirmation of the decision that was first rendered,” Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said in an ambush interview.

In June, the Department of Justice announced that Timor-Leste granted the extradition of Teves.

The Teves camp filed their motion for reconsideration on the ruling on July 26, Friday before the Court of Appeals of Timor-Leste.

According to Clavano, Teves’ camp had argued against the merits of the case.

“This one, they’re questioning yung ano na talaga, kung ano yung naging ruling nung Court of Appeals regarding the extradition request of the Philippines, which we have won,” Clavano said.

“Makapal ‘yung sinubmit nila pero the prosecutor general informed us that they are already willing and able to submit their comment na rin on the motion for reconsideration," he added.

(The document they submitted was thick but the prosecutor general informed us that they are already willing and able to submit their comment on the motion for reconsideration.)

He said that Teves’ camp only rehashed their arguments in the MR.

“It seems like a rehash of all their arguments to begin with. Political persecution, the fact that we have the death penalty here and all these other arguments which have already been ruled upon before,” he said.

According to Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, the legal counsel of Teves, the Prosecutor-General of Timor-Leste has 30 days to respond to the appeal.

He said that Teves was “in high spirits.”

The expelled lawmaker 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 Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine others in March 2023. Teves has repeatedly denied any involvement in the Degamo killing.

READ: TIMELINE: Degamo killing and murder raps vs. Arnie Teves

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/RF, GMA Integrated News