TGP Rep. Jose “Bong” Teves Jr. (Photo from his Facebook page)
MANILA, Philippines — I’m not the Teves being linked to the murder of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.
In a privilege speech on Wednesday, Rep. Jose “Bong” Teves Jr. of the TGP party-list urged the media to make that clear because people had been asking his family, particularly his children, if they had anything to do with the case.
“Mr. Speaker, even if we have the same surname or family name ‘Teves’, I would like to state that we came from different provinces. Rep. Arnolfo ‘Arnie’ Teves Jr. is from the Third District of Negros Occidental, Region 7, Central Visayas. I, on the other hand, am si Congressman Jose ‘Bong’ Joson Teves Jr. of the TGP party-list, who comes from Catanduanes, Region 5, Bicol,” Bong Teves said.
“I stand before this august body, to settle these confusions once and for all because even my family is heavily affected by the news,” Teves went on.
“Our family from the province of Catanduanes, Bicol Region, has nothing to do and has no connection with the killing of Governor Degamo of Negros Oriental,” he added, speaking. in a mix of English and Filipino.
“My children are greatly affected because they’re being repeatedly asked if their father was the one implicated in the incident.”
Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Bong Teves called on news outlets to use the full name of Arnie Teves when discussing details of his alleged involvement in the Degamo case, to avoid confusion.
“I call on every media outlet… to be more responsible and careful when crafting stories or headlines. Please clarify or use the whole name of the one involved in the case, because there are other Teves families from other areas being dragged into the case. They addressed Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. of Negros Oriental 3rd District as Cong. Teves only, without particularly indicating the complete name, district which he represents, which confuses the public,” Bong Teves added.
No case has been filed against Arnie Teves yet as of now regarding the Degamo incident, but the Special Investigation Task Force, along with the suspects arrested, has tagged the Negros lawmaker as the mastermind.
Arnie Teves, who is on a medical trip to the United States, has denied these accusations, saying that he and his brother, former Gov. Pryde Henry Teves, would not benefit from it.
Pryde Teves was the Negros Oriental governor until the Commission on Election (Comelec) declared Degamo the winner of the 2022 elections, after votes obtained by a nuisance candidate named “Ruel Degamo” were credited to the late governor.
But Arnie Teves noted that he and his brother would not benefit from the incident, as it would be the vice governor who would take Degamo’s place.
Earlier, the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges conducted a hearing to discuss his absence.
He was given travel authority from Feb. 28 to March 9, but he has not returned — prompting the committee to ask for an explanation.