House gives Teves 24-hour ultimatum

‘Appear, explain absence’

MANILA, Philippines — The House committee on ethics and privileges yesterday gave Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. 24 hours to personally appear before the panel to explain his absence without official leave from the House of Representatives.

Committee chair and COOP-NATCCO party-list Rep. Felimon Espares said the decision to issue an ultimatum was reached by the panel after discussing Teves’ case in a closed-door hearing.

Espares noted that Teves was given until 4 p.m. today to attend the panel hearing. Otherwise, the committee will rule on what “appropriate sanctions” could be taken against the congressman eyed as a mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and eight others.

“We give him another chance of 24 hours to really personally appear in our committee ... He said he’s fearing for his security, but then we want to help him. But he really has to appear here,” Espares told reporters.

“(This is) an ultimatum in a sense that he was given the time to really be back here in the Philippines. If he fails, then we will come up with a decision on what is the appropriate sanction,” he added.

Last March 15, the committee had given Teves days to respond to its letter, asking the lawmaker to explain his absence from the House as his travel authority had already expired on March 9.

Teves tried to join the committee’s hearing through video teleconferencing but this was rejected by the panel. Asked if the panel was informed about Teves’ whereabouts, Espares answered in the negative.

Lookout bulletin

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to issue an international lookout bulletin order (ILBO) on Teves and other suspects this week in connection with the ongoing investigation into the death of Degamo.

DOJ spokesman Mico Clavano earlier said the agency has taken “concrete steps” to issue the bulletin and is considering requesting a Blue Notice from Interpol to track the movements of the suspects.

Unlike a hold departure order, which is issued by courts to explicitly bar individuals who have already been indicted from leaving the country, an ILBO directs Immigration personnel to inform the DOJ of any attempts of the individuals in question to leave the country. An ILBO also requires subjects to seek clearance to leave the country.

The Blue Notice that the DOJ is considering requesting from Interpol is an “international request for cooperation or alert allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.”

It is meant to “collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation,” according to the Interpol website.

Earlier, the DOJ said Teves left the United States and was “somewhere in Asia.”

Teves expulsion eyed

Meanwhile, Remulla said the petition filed by Degamo’s widow, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, before the House of Representatives to have Teves dismissed from Congress is “very possible” under the House rules for expulsion.

“That depends on the voting of the House of Representatives. It’s really up to the House to decide its own decision in that case because only they can decide on it if there is an expulsion to be done by its members. That is out of our hands. That is in the hands of each member of Congress,” Remulla said.

Under the House of Representatives’ rules, a member may be expelled for disorderly behavior or any act which reflects discredit to the institution. Expulsion requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of all members of the House.

Another surrender

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos on Monday announced the surrender of another suspect involved in the assassination of Degamo.

“We welcome the report of the surrender of at least one other suspect now under the custody of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and who will be turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation… (The suspect) is part of the team who killed Gov. Degamo,” Abalos said at a joint press conference.

Police and military operatives have arrested four suspects behind the killing of Degamo.

“We understand that the suspect has vital and critical information that we hope will pave the way for the resolution of this case, the soonest possible time,” Abalos said.

“What we can say is he is part of the team, of the group,” he said, noting the task force already filed 30 complaints against the four arrested suspects and 12 John Does.

“These consist of nine murder complaints, 15 frustrated murder complaints, three attempted murder complaints and one for violation of RA (Republic Act) 10591, illegal possession of firearms, and two for violation of RA 95196, violation of possession of explosives. As we speak, Task Force Degamo is still in pursuit of the remaining John Does who are involved,” he added.

For his part, Remulla said that the surrender of the suspect, a former soldier, was crucial in the investigation as it confirmed the testimonies of the other four suspects.

“What I can tell you is that there are circumstances that lead to the conclusion that he was involved in the crime. But the specifics of that as of now we can’t tell you,” Remulla said, at the same time expressing hope that the surrender will help bring justice to the victims and their families.

Seeking protection

The lawyer of Teves explained his client’s continued stay overseas while the investigation on the March 4 murder of the latter’s rival Degamo is still ongoing.

“How do you seek protection from them (Philippine National Police) when the entire machinery of government is against you? Where do you go?” defense counsel Ferdinand Topacio declared at a press briefing in a restaurant in Quezon City.

Again, if only to emphasize the real risk his client is facing, he declared: “Of course, we all know that Congressman Teves is brave. Of course he will face it. But the fact that he is now fearing for his life only means the gravity of the threats he is facing,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.

Topacio likewise cited the raids the PNP did in the properties owned by Teves, as well as the arrest and harassment of Hannah Oray, a private secretary of the congressman.

“She was told to sign a document where she was to admit there were grenades inside her house,” Topacio added. “Raids turned out to be fishing expeditions, planting of evidence and harassment of witnesses. This has to stop. We’re warning them not to do it again.”

Assisted by Topacio, Oray on Monday filed a complaint before the Commission on Human Rights against members of the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) over her and her husband’s arrest and detention last week, when she was allegedly threatened to pin down her boss in the killing of Degamo.

In her affidavit written in Filipino, Oray recounted that the CIDG raided her residence and confiscated her husband’s firearms.

She said they were also forced to come to the Bayawan police station but were brought to Dumaguete CIDG office instead, where a certain Mike told her to cooperate and testify against Teves or else she and her husband will rot in jail.

On March 15, Oray was released from detention after the DOJ dismissed the illegal possession of firearms charges against her for lack of probable cause, but her husband remained in the custody of the CIDG.

The defense lawyer also decried “persecution” even as the PNP is still investigating the Degamo murder, but had since been portraying his client as the mastermind. Topacio believes President Marcos is not behind the persecution of Teves.

He also said it is “libelous” to call for the freezing of Teves’ assets because it is being assumed that the lawmaker would be bribing authorities.

He also shut down calls for the expulsion of Teves, saying this will “disenfranchise the district which that congressman is representing.” – Neil Jayson Servallos, Bella Cariaso, Delon Porcalla, Ralph Edwin Villanueva, Elizabeth Marcelo