DOJ spokesperson says Teves may be back in PH by end of July

Former Rep. Arnoldo Teves with lawyer Ferdinand Topacio. His lawyer said the Teves camp is appealing the extradition of the former lawmaker from Timor Leste but the Department of Justice is saying that the fugitive may be back in the Philippines by the end of July. (Photo from Atty. Ferdinand Topacio)

MANILA, Philippines — Former Negros Oriental Congressman and fugitive Arnolfo Teves Jr. may be back in the Philippines by the end of July, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Dominic Clavano said on Saturday.

In a media forum, Clavano said that Teves’ camp has a 30-day period in which they can file a motion for reconsideration with Timor-Leste’s Court of Appeals (CA) regarding its decision to grant the Philippine government’s extradition request for the former lawmaker.

READ: Timor-Leste OKs Teves extradition to PH

“At this point, the other camp has 30 days to file their motion for reconsideration and after that, the Court of Appeals of Timor Leste will render another decision on the motion for reconsideration,” he said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

“It is only then that we will get the final decision on the extradition request, we are very confident dito po sa DOJ na iga-grant pa din sa atin even after the motion for reconsitionda dahil malamang ire-rehash lang nila ‘yung kanilang mga argument na may death penalty, na masama ‘yung human rights efforts natin dito sa Pilipinas, which we can easily defend sa DOJ,” he added.

(It is only then that we will get the final decision on the extradition request. We are very confident here at the DOJ that it will still be granted to us even after the motion for reconsideration because they will likely just rehash their arguments about the death penalty and the poor human rights efforts here in the Philippines, which we can easily defend at the DOJ.)

But if they file a motion before the 30-day period expires, the CA could produce a decision three to four days after the filing.

“If they exhaust the 30 days, which we anticipate they will do, then it will be after the filing we will see kung ano ang magiging desisyon ng Court of Appeals.  Around the last week of July makikita na natin si Ginoong Teves dito sa  Pilipinas,” Clavano said.

(If they exhaust the 30 days, which we anticipate they will do, then it will be after the filing that we will see what the decision of the Court of Appeals will be. Around the last week of July, we will see Mr. Teves here in the Philippines.)

He also assured the public that Teves’ request for political asylum is far from being granted.

“Bago pa siya mahuli mayroon na silang request for asylum, which, sa aming information na-deny nung una, nag-appeal po sila, na-deny ulit. So hindi ko po alam kung ano ‘yung ibig sabihin ng kabilang kampo na ‘yun pa rin ang magiging request nila,” he said.

(Even before he was caught, they had already made a request for asylum, which, according to our information, was denied the first time. They appealed, and it was denied again. So I don’t know what the other camp means when they say that will still be their request.)

READ: Timorese court frees Teves from house arrest, says lawyer Topacio

The DOJ official further emphasized the significance of the CA’s decision.

“The fact na pinagbigyan po tayo ng Timor Leste Court of Appeals means ‘yung mga arguments po natin, ‘yung request po natin ay considered valid in the eyes of a completely third party or neutral tribunal, which I think can emphasize na mayroon po talaga tayong kaso,” he said.

If the CA does not grant the extradition, then Teves’ case can also be considered an immigration issue as he is already an undocumented alien in Timor-Leste, he added.