President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr. (FILE PHOTOS)
Updated on April 8, 2024 at 3:24 p.m.
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday maintained that there is no threat against wanted former representative Arnolfo Teves Jr.
Teves, wanted for the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine other people, was arrested last March in Timor-Leste while golfing.
Teves has repeatedly claimed there was a threat to his life, refusing to go back to the Philippines.
READ: Teves claims 2 high-ranking gov’t officials ordered threat to his life
In an ambush interview in Bacolod City, Marcos said that Teves will be treated with “compassion and fairness,” the same reception that will be given to alleged sex trafficker Apollo Quiboloy.
READ: Quiboloy’s surrender term is ‘tail wagging,’ says Marcos
“Wala naman kami, sa lahat ng mga sinasabi ni Arnie Teves, takot siya sa buhay niya, wala kaming report na ganoon. Walang nagbabanta sa buhay niya,” said Marcos.
(We do not have; of all the things Teves said, he is scared for his life; we do not have reports like that. There is no threat to his life.)
Since March 2023, Teves has played a cat-and-mouse game with the government, consistently dodging Philippine authorities after being tagged in Degamo’s killing.
On top of being expelled from the House of Representatives, the government has also labeled Teves as a terrorist.
Without divulging any details, Teves has maintained that there is a threat against his life. He has twice sought political asylum in Timor-Leste.
READ: Court proceedings to keep Teves in East Timor for up to 40 days
While Teves is already in the the custody of authorities, the Department of Justice has yet to give a definite date on when the expelled lawmaker will return to the country.