DOJ awaits arrest warrant vs Teves as murder raps filed against ex-congressman
FILE PHOTO: Now-expelled Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Saturday it is awaiting the issuance of an arrest warrant against Arnolfo Teves Jr. following their filing of murder complaints against the expelled congressman over the death of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and others.
DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano said that two murder complaints were filed against Teves – one at a Manila court and another at a Bayawan, Negros Oriental court – for the killing of Degamo in March this year and of three people in 2019.
“[T]here were two cases for murder filed against the former congressman; one was a result of a 2019 incident kung saan may tatlong namatay (where three people died)… there was another case filed for murder at ito po ‘yung (and this is the) Degamo case,” Clavano said in the weekly Saturday News Forum.
He said the murder case in relation to Degamo’s slay was filed before Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 51 on August 18, along with attempted murder and frustrated murder complaints as several constituents of Degamo were caught in the crossfire after heavily armed men entered the former governor’s house in Pamplona town and assassinated the Negros politician.
“Naifile na po sa Manila, nasa korte na rin at hinihintay lang din po ang warrant of arrest,” Clavano also said.
(It has been filed in Manila, it is already in court and we are just waiting for the arrest warrant.)
As for the murder case in relation to a 2019 incident, the DOJ official explained: “’Yung 2019 murder case ay finile na po sa Bayawan sa Negros [Oriental]. However, we are requesting from the Supreme Court na i-transfer sana dito sa Manila dahil […] Hinihintay lang po ‘yung warrant of arrest na lumabas sa 2019 case.”
(The 2019 murder case has been filed in Bayawan in Negros [Oriental]. However, we are requesting from the Supreme Court that the case be transferred here in Manila because […] We are just waiting for the arrest warrant to come out for the 2019 case.)
Clavano said prosecutors found probable cause which led to the filing of the case last August 9.
He added that the DOJ is expecting the release of arrest warrants in the next few days.
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