The Department of Justice (DOJ) has required suspended Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” A. Teves Jr. to answer the complaint for multiple murder, multiple frustrated murder, and multiple attempted murder filed against him in the March 4, 2023 killings of 10 persons, including Gov. Roel R. Degamo.
Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon revealed on Tuesday that a subpoena has been issued by a DOJ panel of prosecutors against Teves to answer the charges.
The panel of prosecutors is headed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Mary Jane E. Sytat.
But Fadullon did not say when is Teves’ deadline to file his counter-affidavit and the date of the start of the preliminary investigation.
Teves, who was slapped with another second 60-day suspension as a congressman, has stayed abroad despite the lapse of his travel authority on March 9, 2023. He cited “security reasons” for not returning.
The lawmaker has been tagged as “one of the masterminds” in the killing of Degamo, the deaths of nine other persons, and injuries sustained by 18 individuals. He has denied the allegations.
Teves was reported to have applied for political asylum with the Timor-Leste government which denied his plea. He appealed the denial before Timor-Leste’s Supreme Court. It was not known, as of this posting, the status of the appeal.
The criminal charges against Teves were filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on May 17, 2023.
Also charged aside from Teves were Angelo V. Palagtiw, Neil Andrew Go, Capt. Lloyd Cruz Garcia, Nigel Electona, and a person identified only with the aliases “Gee-Ann” and “Jie-An,” who allegedly a sister of Palagtiw.
They were charged with 10 counts of murder, 14 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts attempted under the Revised Penal Code (RPC).
Under the RPC, murder is a non-bailable offense and a heinous crime.