Senate refusal to let Teves join probe via online is ‘unfair’ – Teves’ legal counsel

Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate’s refusal to let Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. attend its probe into the assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo through teleconferencing is “unfair,” said Teves’ legal counsel on Monday.

Atty. Ferdinand Topacio also said that the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs invited and allowed Teves to join the hearing through teleconferencing before “going back and forth until their final decision was not to allow him to join any longer.”

“Para sa’min po ang unfair ay hindi po pinayagan si Teves na sabihin ang kaniyang panig dito sa pagdinig na ito, ang unfair ay yun pong pagdinig ng Senado in aid of legislation para magkaroon ng kaukulang batas sana, either bagong batas o pagsusog sa batas na naipasa na,” said Topacio in a press briefing held with Teves.

(For us, what is unfair is that Teves was not allowed to air his side in this hearing, the hearing of the Senate in aid of legislation to have a corresponding law, hopefully, either a new law or an amendment to the law which has been passed.)

“Pero sa ngayon parang nagiging echo chamber lamang ito sapagkat isang panig lamang ang naririnig,” he added.

(Right now, it seems like it’s just becoming an echo chamber because only one side is being heard.)

Furthermore, Topacio was accused of other “fundamental unfairness” in the probe, including using government facilities to bring witnesses to Manila, the trial by publicity against Teves and the pronouncements of the Department of Justice.

I never asked to be invited – Teves

Meanwhile, Teves, for his own part, also stressed that the Senate invited him to attend the probe and allowed him to do so through teleconferencing.

“Totoo nag usap kami ni [Senator] Bato [Dela Rosa] sabi niya, pero naano lang ako na hindi naman ako nag-request na isali ako sa hearing, sila ‘yung nag imbita and sila pa nagsabi na pwede [mag-attend] Zoom,” said Teves.

(It’s true that Bato and I talked as he said, but I didn’t request to be included in the hearing. They invited me and even said I could attend through Zoom.)

He reiterated that he does not understand why he is being required to attend the hearing in person, citing once again a threat to his life as the reason why he couldn’t do so.

“Ngayon noong sinabi ni Bato na kaya nila akong i-secure sa Senado, ang tanong ko, ilan ang guwardiya ni Degamo, ‘di ba army pa nagbabantay sa kaniya, ano nangyari sa kaniya? Patay pa rin,” said Teves.

(Now, when Bato said that they could secure me in the Senate, my question is, how many are Degamo’s guards, isn’t the army still guarding him? What happened to him? Still dead.)

“So paano niyo masasabi you can secure my life kung ang isang tao binantayan sandamakmak na army ngayon patay na,” he added.

(So how can you say you can secure my life if someone was guarded by a whole army but still ended up dead.)

To recall, Teves has repeatedly denied any hand in the assassination of Degamo and eight others.

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JPV/abc