AN EXPELLED Filipino congressman wanted for the murder of the governor in his province of Negros Oriental last year, is now on the International Criminal Police Organization’s (INTERPOL) red notice list, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said on Tuesday.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said the INTERPOL issued a red notice on Negros Oriental ex-Rep. Arnolfo A. Teves, Jr. to alert law enforcers around the world so that he could be found, apprehended and extradited.
Now considered a “fugitive wanted for prosecution,” Mr. Teves is the suspected mastermind in the assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel R. Degamo in March 2023, a political rival of his family.
Last Feb. 19, Mr. Teves was issued a blue notice by the INTERPOL, allowing the Philippine government to gain information about the fugitive if and when he traveled abroad.
In both notices, Teves is believed to be in Cambodia or Timor-Leste.
“We have come full circle with the help of the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation], PNP [Philippine National Police, ATC [Anti-Terrorism Council], NPS [National Prosecution Service], and other partner agencies,” DoJ Assistant Secretary and Spokesman Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV said in a Viber message.
Although he has consistently denied any part in the crime, Mr. Teves ignored all summons by law enforcement authorities to face investigation, citing threats against his family’s safety.
“We’ve investigated the crime and other related activities, we’ve designated their group as a terrorist organization based on available evidence, filed the cases for multiple murders in court and now we are finally equipped with the legal cover to bring him home safely to face the charges in the appropriate forum which is the court,” Mr. Clavano said.
Apart from the Degamo case, Mr. Teves faces charges related to the killing of three individuals from March to June 2019 in Negros Oriental, violations of The Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, and violations of the Law on Explosives after high-caliber weapons and ammunition were found in his residence, the Anti-Terrorism Council said in a statement.
On Feb. 8, the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51 ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs to immediately cancel Mr. Teves’ passport, to which the DFA complied, the statement adds. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
