Speaker is caretaker of Teves’ congressional district

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Martin Romualdez has taken over as “caretaker” of the 3rd District of Negros Oriental, the congressional seat of Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. who is serving a two-month suspension for disorderly conduct.

 “In the interest of the people of Negros Oriental, the undersigned shall act as the Legislative Caretaker of the 3rd District of Negros Oriental for the period 23 March to 22 May 2023. This order takes effect immediately,” his Memorandum Order 19-017 stated.

The leader of the 312-member House of Representatives traditionally names caretakers for districts not represented in the chamber due to various reasons such as appointment to a Cabinet position, suspension, or expulsion of a member.

Congress, composed of the Senate and the House, is currently on its Lenten break lasting until May 7.

By virtue of the order, Romualdez will act as temporary caretaker of the congressional district for the entire period coinciding with the duration of the 60-day suspension the House imposed on Teves for ignoring a return to work order last March 23.

The House committee on ethics and privileges recommended the suspension of Teves, who left for the United States last Feb. 28 and has refused to return home and report for work despite the expiration of his travel authority last March 9.

Teves, who has been implicated in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and eight others in a commando-style assault of his residence in Pamplona town last March 4, has been reportedly hiding in Cambodia in fear of facing threats to his life should he return.

In its decision, the ethics committee headed by COOP-NATCO party-list Rep. Felimon Espares said that Teves’ continued refusal to return to the country and perform his duties as a House member constitute “disorderly behavior affecting the dignity, integrity, and reputation of the House, which warrant disciplinary action.”

In a video message posted on his Facebook page last week, Teves slammed his colleagues for not giving him the chance to explain his side by facing the panel through a virtual meeting and claimed authorities had prejudged him.

But Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon, a member of the ethics panel, refuted insinuations that the sanctions on Teves, which were unanimously voted on by their colleagues, 292-0, are in any way related to his being implicated in the March 4 bloodbath.

“His stay outside of the Philippines is unauthorized already, that is why he can no longer participate in the plenary sessions and committee hearings,” Bongalon explained.

Moreover, Romualdez had repeatedly pleaded with Teves, assuring him that all the security detail necessary to protect him from the threats he fears will be provided to him upon his return.

No less than President Marcos himself has assured Teves of his safety, but the congressman still refuses to return.

Meanwhile, Bongalon noted that Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, widow of the slain governor, had filed a complaint before the House ethics committee, asking that it expel Teves from the august body.

“We still don’t know what will happen. We’ll see. We’ll cross the bridge when we get there,” he said, reassuring the public that due process will always be observed by the House leadership, just like what it always does in other previous cases.

House secretary-general Reginald Velasco earlier told reporters they have already sent Teves a copy of his two-month suspension, which is part of the due process protocol in the chamber, and that they are now in the process of reviewing the complaint of Degamo’s wife.

Suspects point to Teves

Yesterday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla revealed that nine to 10 statements gathered by state prosecutors from suspects in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) point to Teves’ involvement in the assassination of Degamo.

“It’s in the statements. The statements that were issued so far point to certain involvement on his part, 9 or 10 statements that we hold on,” said Remulla, noting that the suspects are willing to cooperate in identifying the mastermind.

The NBI is currently holding 10 suspects, all former soldiers who allegedly took part in the assault that killed Degamo and eight others and wounded more than a dozen more people.

While Remulla believes that the statements the suspects gave were already enough, he said prosecutors were still looking at other ways to “further the information” in the case.

Asked what the Department of Justice would do if Teves would choose to remain at large, he said: “When the trial proceeds… a lot can be done by the prosecution to secure testimonies against him, so the same with taking evidence against him.”

Remulla earlier stated that they already had evidence to implicate Teves in the killing of Degamo. However, they are still evaluating the weight of the evidence before filing a complaint against him.

Pryde’s gun license revoked

Meanwhile, former Negros Oriental governor Pryde Henry Teves, brother of the congressman, just had his firearms license revoked by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Col. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson, confirmed yesterday that the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) revoked the younger Teves’ license to own and possess firearms (LTOPF).

Fajardo was quick to note that the FEO’s decision to do so has nothing to do with last weekend’s seizure of a cache of firearms and explosives buried in his property that serves as a sugar mill in Santa Catalina, Negros Oriental.

“The basis of the revocation is for his submission of spurious documents or misrepresentation in the application to obtain the license or permit,” she told a news briefing.

Asked to elaborate, Fajardo said Pryde Henry’s signatures in the documents submitted in his LTOPF application to the FEO were different from each other.

As a result of the revocation of his firearms license, the former governor must now surrender the 28 firearms registered under his name.

Likewise, the FEO revoked the gun license of suspended Rep. Teves for the same offense, said Fajardo.

Citing PNP records, she said the lawmaker only surrendered 12 of the 18 firearms in his name.

One of six guns, a sniper rifle, was recovered by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group that swooped down on Pryde Henry’s 52-hectare property in Santa Catalina where the HDJ Agri-Ventures Corp. sugar mill operates.

Pryde urges Arnie to return

In an interview aired over GMA News “Unang Balita,” Pryde Henry revealed that he had spoken to his elder brother Arnie a few days ago and urged him to return home.

He also told the suspended congressman to face allegations that he had a hand in the deadly attack on Degamo.

“I told him that it is my and my brothers and your parents’ position that you should come home,” he said.

Pryde Henry also said that he and other members of the board of HDJ Agri-Ventures signed a resolution opening up the whole corporation for investigation by authorities, including the sugar mill’s bank accounts.

President of the company, Pryde also claimed to be surprised that high-caliber weapons and improvised explosive devices were discovered at the property.

As a survivor of the bombing of the Batasang Pambansa in 2007, he said he would never keep explosives on the property.

“I am a bombing survivor, the scars on my whole body reveal it,” said Pryde Henry, a former congressman and mayor of Bayawan City.

Degamo cleared of graft

Ten days before he was slain, Degamo was cleared of graft and malversation charges by the Supreme Court (SC) in a case involving P480 million in public funds intended for local government response to the destruction wrought by typhoon Sendong in 2011.

In a ruling rendered on Feb. 22 and made public last Wednesday, the SC dismissed the 11 counts each of corrupt practices, and malversation through falsification leveled against Degamo over the alleged misuse of calamity funds for infrastructure projects.

The cases were filed in 2017 by the Ombudsman over the awarding of 11 infrastructure contracts to seven firms using P143.268 million of the P480.7-million calamity funds of the provincial government. The contracts were for nine river flood control projects and the rehabilitation of two bridges.

Both cases were dismissed by Sandiganbayan in 2021, but were subsequently elevated to the SC.

In its ruling, the SC dismissed the charges on the ground of double jeopardy. Under the 1987 Constitution, an accused cannot be prosecuted twice for a crime for which one had been absolved. —  Neil Jayson Servallos, Emmanuel Tupas