Former Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. has been released from house arrest in Timor Leste, his lawyer, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said on Saturday.
“We confirm the published reports appearing on Timor Leste (TL) media–which have reached our country–to the effect that Rep. Arnolfo Teves has been ordered released from house arrest by the tribunal conducting extradition proceedings relative to the request made by the Philippine government,” Topacio said in a statement.
But Topacio was quick to say “certain conditions” were imposed for his release, “including regular reporting to a court officer and a commitment not to leave TL while the extradition case is pending, which conditions are customary in litigations of this nature.”
“Otherwise, he has been restored to full liberty in accordance with the order of the TL high court’s voiding of the preventing detention order due to defects in the extradition request,” Topacio stressed.
Teves has been placed under house arrest by a Court of Appeals in Timor-Leste after it deemed the extraditee to be a “flight risk.”
The court noted that the former legislator is facing multiple murder charges in the Philippines and that he came to Timor-Leste by private plane in April 2023.
It said that Teves lives in a rented house with a monthly rent of $10,000 with his wife and two children and has more than 20 employees, 10 of which were Filipino and 10 of which were Timorese.
The court also noted that he is working as a partner of a construction firm, whose owner gave him financial support.
As this developed, former governor of Negros Oriental Pryde Henry Teves said he was dismayed that authorities tagging him as “Most Wanted Person” when he has not gone into hiding.
“I have been always consistent with that, di ba? Law abiding naman tayo. I will never run away from obstacles. You know that’s our duty to our citizens and then Kristiyano tayo eh. I will not run away from it. So ako na mismo ang pumunta,” Teves told a television interview.
(I have always been consistent with that, right? We are law abiding. I will never run away from obstacles. You know that’s our duty to our citizens and then we are Christians. I will not run away from it. So I am went himself)
He said he will face any court to prove his innocence.
“I’ll just have to face it squarely, if there’s a trial then good at least I can show everything I have to show because right from the start, I am always been transparent. Remember, when this issue was brought up, I was the first to volunteer all my information, at binigay ko lahat, bank accounts ko, emails ko, lahat binigay ko na, para ma-check nila kung meron ba silang dapat pagdudahan sa pagkatao ko (I was the first to volunteer all my information, and I gave everything, my bank accounts, my emails, I gave everything, so they could check if there was anything they should doubt about my character),”Teves added.
Teves stressed he will never support terrorist activities as he is himself a victim of terrorism, the reason for the scars he sustained in various parts of his body.