EMBATTLED Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. on Monday demanded that the House Committee on Ethics be enjoined to stop its proceedings against him, calling it a violation of “internal rules.”
In a letter sent to the committee chaired by COOP-NATCCO Rep. Felimon Espares, Teves through his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, said the committee should defer action against an ethics case against a congressman who also faces a complaint before another body, pending action on those cases.
Espares has yet to issue a statement on the matter as of press time.
“This is to prevent conflicting decision from different bodies and this is an acknowledgement on the part of the House committee that any House committee is not a trier of facts; it is not a court of law; it is not the most competent to rule on certain issues of facts or law before it,” Topacio said.
Topacio said the proscription of Teves as a terrorist was pending before the Anti-Terrorism Council and that the case might might be elevated to the court.
He added that Teves was also facing a case of abandonment of office at the Office of the Ombudsman due to his continued absences from legislative duties.
“Para sa amin po papasok na po yung rule under section 2 na dapat pigilin muna itong pagdinig na ito at hintayin yung desisyon noong Ombudsman at ng Anti-Terrorism Council sapagkat nakalagay po dito hihintayin po yung desisyon by final judgment,” Topacio stated.
“Dapat po tigil po immediately itong pagdinig ng Committee on Ethics,” he added.
Topacio also said the letter was personally signed by Teves, instead of his lawyers, which “should satisfy the requirement” of the committee.
The ATC has designated suspended Teves and his armed supporters as terrorists.
In a resolution dated July 26, the ATC cited the killings and harassments in Negros Oriental that were meant to “intimidate” the province’s residents and to create an “atmosphere or spread a message of fear.”
At the same time, the House voted in May to suspend Teves for another 60 days over his continued unauthorized absences and disorderly conduct resulting in his failure to perform his duties as a House member.
Teves was first slapped with a 60-day suspension over his continued absence despite an expired travel authority last March 22.
