House panel gives Teves a 24-hour ultimatum to return, face lawmakers
MANILA, Philippines — With Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. (Negros Oriental) yet to return to the country, the House panel on ethics and privileges has given him a 24-hour ultimatum to physically appear before the committee before the panel proposes sanctions against him.
This was decided upon during the committee’s closed-door hearing into Teves’ continued absence in Congress on Monday afternoon.
In a Facebook live stream by People’s Television Network, committee chair Rep. Felimon Espares (COOP NATCCO Partylist) said the committee did not allow Teves to join through video conference in their hearing on Monday as he “needs to appear in person.”
The committee initially gave the lawmaker five days to return to the country and report to work.
“(This is an) ultimatum in the sense that he is given time to go back here in the Philippines, and if not, we will provide a decision on what is the appropriate sanction,” Espares said in Filipino. The panel chairperson, however, refused to disclose more details about possible sanctions discussed during the two-hour hearing.
In a separate press briefing on Monday, Topacio said that House Speaker Martin Romualdez denied Teves’ request for a two-month leave of absence.
Teves left for the United States for stem cell treatment on February 28, four days before the attack on Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. He was supposed to have already returned to the Philippines upon expiry of his travel authority on March 9.
Authorities believe Teves is no longer in the United States but somewhere in Asia, in a place which Philippine National Police spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said last Saturday she was not at liberty to disclose. — Cristina Chi with reports from The STAR / Ralph Edwin Villanueva
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