SUSPENTED Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. is weighing options to counter a move by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) declaring him as a terrorist.
Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said they expected the designation since it was already mentioned before by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
“We are just waiting for a formal declaration of the ATC so we can file appropriate remedies either administrative or in court,” Topacio said.
Topacio has also said their camp seeks to appeal Teves’ terrorist designation before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, or the Regional Trial Courts.
“We are carefully weighing our options. We are also trying to reach out to the lawyers of the others because sometimes what stops us from reaching out to these lawyers might be accusations of collusion,” Topacio said.
He ruled out however, the idea of filing an appeal before the ATC, saying “it will be futile.”
“Because those people have already made up their minds,” he stressed.
Approved on July 26, ATC’s Resolution Number 43 tagged Arnie, his brother former governor Pryde Henry Teves, and 11 others as terrorists over several alleged killings and harassment cases in Negros Oriental.
The ATC said the violations included acts of terrorism; planning, training, preparing and facilitating the commission of terrorism; recruitment to and membership in a terrorist organization; and providing material support to terrorists.
Following the ATC move, the Anti-Money Laundering Council froze all the assets of Teves.
Topacio said their camp has no knowledge yet on the matter, but he pointed out that they also have remedies for it under the law.
“That is limited. Actually, we have no information yet if they are really freezing Arnie Teves’ assets. We have no personal knowledge of
that. Of course, I am not the one managing his assets so I would not know. Under the law, we have remedies for that,” he said.
Topacio said their camp has yet to receive the official copy of the ATC resolution.
Teves was tagged as the mastermind behind the assassination of the late Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo on March 4. Eight visitors of the governor were also shot dead, while several others were injured in the attack.
The death toll has since risen to 10.
In a separate interview on Unang Balita, , Degamo’s widow, Pamplona, Negros Oriental Mayor Janice Degamo, said the designation of
Teves as a terrorist “gave hope and sense of security to Negros Oriental residents” and vindicated the testimonies of the victims.
“It seems we are seeing a light at the end of the dark tunnel. It looks like there will be a
a ripple effect of the matter,” she said.
“Now, the testimonies of the victims are vindicated, and that they were not just made up,” she added.
She also said the freezing of Teves’ assets would encourage other victims to speak up. Once the suspects are in jail, more
victims will reveal themselves, she said.
Meanwhile, Pryde Henry Teves said he was planning to appeal the resolution of the ATC tagging him as a terrorist.
“My lawyer called me and said that they are studying the law because this is a new law, how we can appeal it … if it’s appealable, and
where to appeal it,” Teves said.
He said the ATC’s decision came as a shock to him, adding it was depressing for him because he has to leave his daily grind to support his family.
He pointed out that he was also a victim of terrorist acts before that almost cost his life so he will not engage in such activities.
According to him, he will not leave the province and will not go into hiding.
Noting his previous actions since the start of the investigation, the former governor said he had no intentions of running.
His lawyer Raymund Fortun said they will use legal remedies to remove his client from the list of designated terrorists.
“We will avail of legal remedies for delisting under the Anti-Terror Law. We are hopeful that the reasons we provide will be favorably
considered,” he said.
“Gov. Pryde Teves was a victim of a terroristic act in 2005. Of all people, he would be the last person to embrace acts which almost cost
him his life,” he added.
Others covered by the ATC ruling were Marvin Miranda, Rogelio Antipolo, Rommel Pattaguan, Winrich Isturis, John Louie Gonyon, Daniel Lora,
Eulogio Gonyon Jr., Tomasino Aledro, Nigel Electona, Jomarie Catubay, and Hannah Mae Sumero Oray.
Lawyer Russel Miraflora, counsel of Antipolo, Pataguan, and Lora, said his clients never committed terrorist acts, dismissing the
ATC’s action a part of the government’s alleged persecution against Arnie Teves.
“Our clientele never committed acts of terrorism so as they can be designated as terrorist,” Miraflora said.
“It is very clear that what is being offered by the ATC to the previous press briefing can be dubbed as part of the persecutions by
the government against Cong Teves and against those who are alleged to be acquainted to him,” he added.
Electona’s lawyer, Michael Mella, said the designation of his client as terrorist has no factual and legal anchorage. He also
questioned the ATC for citing Electona’s Degamo case for the designation.
“It smacks of oppression, abuse of power and the exact paradigm of capricious disregard of due process of law. A reading of all the
malicious charges against my client would show that the allegations in support thereof are very shallow, twisted, obviously contrived and
based on planted and fabricated evidence,’ he said.
For the lawyer of Isturis and the Gonyons, Atty. Jord Valenton, the designation “appears to be putting the cart before the horse,” as he
pointed out that there is still a big gap in the investigation.
“Admittedly, armed men appear in the CCTV to have committed the gruesome acts. There are big and lingering questions though,”
Valenton, said.