Suspended Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves. Jr. (File photo)
MANILA, Philippines — Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. has been suspended for an additional 60 days by the House of Representatives.
This stemmed from his failure to appear before the House committee on ethics and privileges once again.
The suspension was announced during the plenary session on Wednesday.
285 lawmakers voted to approve the report of the House committee on ethics and privileges.
No one voted against it.
One lawmaker abstained.
Aside from the suspension, the report also stated that Teves would be stripped of all his committee memberships.
The document was presented to the chamber by panel chairperson and COOP NATCCO party-list representative Felimon Espares.
“We all know that our colleague has been imposed by this August body the penalty of 60 days suspension last 22 March 2023 for disorderly behavior,” Espares recalled.
“After service of the penalty, our colleague Representative A. Teves remains abroad, fails to perform his duties and responsibilities as member of the House of Representatives, and commits acts detrimental to the House of Representatives and its members,” he went on.
“Hence, the committee, for the second time around, exercised it’s motu proprio authority to assume jurisdiction over his continuous unauthorized absences in the House of Representatives,” Espares read the decision.
This is the second time that House members approved a committee report recommending Teves’ suspension after the lawmaker continuously failed to heed the panel’s order to return to the Philippines and appear before the House.
The travel authority of Teves was only from February 28, 2023 to March 9, 2023.
The lawmaker has not returned to the country since his medical trip to the United States.
He had cited security concerns as the reason.
Philippine National Police Special Investigation Task Group had previously tagged Teves as the mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo.
Teves had denied involvement in the Degamo slay, saying he and his brother Pryde would not benefit from this kind of plot.
He was first suspended for 60 days on March 22, 2023.
After the suspension period lapsed on May 22, 2023, the committee on ethics and privileges held new discussions to acquire jurisdiction of the issue, as Teves still insisted against flying back into the country.
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