Roel Degamo (left) and Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves —PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK/INQUIRER FILES
DUMAGUETE CITY — The widow of slain Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo has expressed dismay over the recent ruling of a Timorese court that rejected the Philippine government’s bid to extradite expelled Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves, the alleged mastermind of the crime.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Friday, Mayor Janice Degamo of Pamplona town, Negros Oriental, described the decision as “peculiar and difficult to understand.”
She also raised the possibility that a Timorese court could also succumb to power and connections.
“Dili nato malikayan nga makahunahuna nga ang korte sa Timor Leste makamang sad diay. (We cannot avoid but think that the court in Timor Leste can also be reached by some people),” said Janice, who did not mention names.
The Inquirer tried to reach Mayor Degamo through her mobile phone but to no avail.
In decision dated March 20 and written in Portuguese by Timor-Leste’s Court of Appeals, an English translation of which was provided by Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, the plenary of judges “unanimously decided” to grant Teves’ appeal and “refuse the request for [his] extradition.”
The court cited Article 35 (3) of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, which prohibits extradition if there is a “well-founded risk of being subjected to torture, inhuman, degrading or cruel treatment.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ), in a statement, said it was “surprised and deeply disappointed by this development.”
The DOJ said Teves is facing serious charges, including multiple counts of murder, and must be brought back to the Philippines to face the full force of the law.
Janice said she was confident that the Philippine government would do everything in its power to bring Teves back to the country.
“I believe in our government’s capacity to bring Arnie Teves back so he would face the charges filed against him and his cohorts,” she said.
“Next week, I will meet with Justice Secretary Boying (Jesus Crispin) Remulla so he could enlighten me on the recent developments and to know the plans our government has in mind (to address the issue),” she added.
Janice’s husband Roel was murdered by armed assailants while attending to the needs of his constituents inside his residential compound in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental on March 4, 2023.
Nine other persons were also killed during the attack.
Eleven suspects were arrested and earlier linked Teves to the massacre.
Many suspects, however, recanted their confessions after they were provided with lawyers
This, however, did not stop the prosecutors from filing charges against Teves in court.
Teves, who repeatedly denied the accusations, was eventually removed from the House of Representatives and went into hiding after he became the subject of an arrest warrant issued by a Regional Trial Court in Manila.
He was eventually arrested while playing golf in Timor Leste on March 21, 2024.
READ: Timor-Leste court rejects PH bid to extradite Teves