Suspended Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnoldo Teves Jr. (INQUIRER File Photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines — The House committee on ethics and privileges has set a hearing on the continuous absence of Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr..
This comes following the lapse of the 60-day suspension initially imposed against him by the House of Representatives.
COOP NATCCO party-list representative Filemon Espares told reporters on Tuesday the hearing will be on Monday next week.
“Our committee meeting has just finished (for) the talking on the major agenda which is with regards to… still the case of our colleagues here, Honorable Arnolfo ‘Arnie’ Teves Jr., the (representative of the) 3rd District of Negros Oriental,” he said.
“This committee again (was) able to acquire a jurisdiction via motu proprio to further investigate the continuing absences of our member, after the lapse of the 60-day suspension which was ended yesterday,” Espares went on.
“Again, we will be continuing our committee process dito, so we have scheduled another committee hearing on the 29th of this month of May, in order to hear and process the case being probed by this committee,” he added.
After the committee meeting on Monday, Espares said the panel will submit its recommendations to the plenary so that lawmakers can decide what their next action will be.
A similar set of moves by the committee had previously resulted in the imposition of a penalty against Teves by the House.
He was suspended on March 22, 2023 after he failed to return to the country, despite his expired travel authority.
Prior to this, Teves had sought the House’ permission to leave the country from February 28 to March 9, 2023, citing a medical procedure in the United States.
READ: Rep. Arnolfo Teves gets 60 days suspension as House OKs ethics panel report
The lawmaker, however, has not returned to the Philippines since then.
He said he feared for his family’s security after he was implicated in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo.
READ: Negros Oriental governor shot dead inside his house
READ: Teves ready to return to PH, face accusations but…
Degamo was gunned down in his residence at Pamplona town on March 4, 2023.
Teves had denied involvement in the incident.
He said he and his brother Pryde Henry Teves did not stand to gain anything from the attack.
READ: Cong. Teves condemns brutal killing of Gov. Degamo, denies involvement