Philippine council tags fugitive lawmaker and consorts as terrorists

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

THE GOVERNMENT has labeled Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo A. Teves, Jr. and members of his armed group terrorists, months after the lawmaker went into hiding after the killing of a Philippine governor.

Lawyers said the Anti-Terrorism Council’s move sets a dangerous precedent in the application of a 2020 anti-terror law.

Mr. Teves is suspected to have masterminded the assassination of former Negros Oriental governor Roel R. Degamo, who was killed along with nine other people inside his house in Pamplona town in March.

The lawmaker, whom the House of Representatives has suspended, left the Philippines for the United States for a supposed stem cell therapy four days before the ex-governor and his companions were murdered on March 4.

The anti-terror agency also labeled his brother, ex-Negros Oriental Governor Pryde Henry Teves, a political nemesis of Mr. Degamo, and Marvin H. Miranda, Mr. Teves’ alleged co-mastermind, terrorists.

Suspected gunmen facing murder complaints due to the Degamo slay were also included in the terror list.

In a statement, Mr. Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand S. Topacio said they were not surprised by the government’s latest move, accusing the state of political harassment.

He said his client had been tagged the mastermind without investigation. Police searches in his properties were illegal, he added.

The lawyer also accused the government of “embarking on a massive media campaign to discredit [Mr. Teves] and prejudice the minds of the public against him.”

Justice spokesman Jose Dominic “Mico” Clavano IV said the council’s move was “not arbitrary but based on compelling evidence and factual incidents.”

“For as long as violent acts fall within the definition of terrorism, the government will not hesitate to designate individuals or groups as such,” he told a news briefing.

Mr. Clavano IV said Mr. Teves should show up and face the charges against him.

The National Bureau of Investigation charged Mr. Teves with multiple counts of murder, frustrated and attempted murder as early as May.

The people on the terror list are part of a terrorist organization, according to the Anti-Terror Council, calling it the Teves Terrorist Group.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council has issued a freeze order on their bank accounts and other assets.

“This decision sets a dangerous precedent, and our fears are confirmed that the vague provisions of the Anti-Terror Law, especially the provision on designation, can be used arbitrarily not only against dissenters, but also against ordinary citizens and even political opponents,” National Union of People’s Lawyers’ Secretary-General Ephraim B. Cortez said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“The Teves designation proves this, and it seems that they do not care at all about the absurdity of their act,” he said.

Policy analyst and lawyer Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco said the council’s move might be a signal that it would not hesitate to use the Anti-Terror Law “like a hammer.”

“It really seems like they will not limit the law to violent extremists or communist insurgents, which are the groups usually labeled by the state as terrorists,” he said via chat. “Meaning, the political or ideological aspect of the violent acts may no longer be a determining element in terrorism indictments.”