Atty. Ferdinand Topacio at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay, May 31, 2023 | INQUIRER.net file photo / Ryan Leagogo
MANILA, Philippines – The legal battle in Timor Leste is not yet over despite the decision of its Court of Appeals granting the Philippines’ extradition request against former lawmaker Arnolfo Teves.
“Not so fast. You have not won – not by a long shot,” Teves’ counsel, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, said.
On Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that the Court of Appeals of Timor Leste had granted the country’s request to bring back Teves to the Philippines to face a string of murder cases.
READ: Timor Leste court approves PH extradition request vs Teves
Topacio said the decision is not yet final.
“The judgment is still appealable,” he said.
“Under Article 300 of the Code of Civil Procedure of Timor Leste, we have 30 days from the time of notification to file an appeal,” Topacio said, adding that given the 30-day period, they have until the last week of July to file an appeal.
Appeal, he said, “is a recourse that we have every intention of taking.”
“Then, we still have the option of political asylum,” he added.
Teves is facing a case for 10 counts of murder, 12 counts of frustrated murder and four counts of attempted murder for the March 4, 2023 attack that killed Governor Roel Degamo and nine others.
But Topacio said, even if the Philippine government has managed to bring Teves back, he still has to be proven “guilty in the face of recantations by all witnesses previously against him who were tortured and intimidated into testifying falsely against him.
“You still have to defend your planted evidence, in light of the recent rulings of the courts revealing their bogus nature and the admission to bail of Mr. Teves’ co-accused on the ground of weak evidence,” he added.
The DOJ has yet to respond to this allegation.