Timorese foreign minister arrives today

East Timor Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas —Photo by Sai Aung Main/Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — Timor-Leste’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito Freitas is scheduled to visit the country from Aug. 19 to Aug. 21, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

In a news release on Saturday, the department said Freitas is set to meet with Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo to tackle the current state of the two republics’ bilateral and multilateral relationships and exchange perspectives on regional and international developments.

This will be the first time that the Timorese diplomat will conduct an official visit to the Philippines as foreign minister since he assumed the position in 2023, according to the DFA.

READ: Timor Leste court approves PH extradition request vs Teves

The agency did not mention whether Manalo and Freitas would also discuss the case of fugitive and expelled lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr., the primary suspect in the murder of former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, who was arrested in Dili on March 21.

The Department of Justice announced on June 27 that the Court of Appeals of Timor-Leste had granted the Philippines’ request for Teves’ extradition.

However, the former lawmaker has filed an appeal against the ruling.

The Philippines has already sought a red notice from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for the arrest of Teves, Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez on Saturday.

Vasquez said four principles govern Interpol’s decision to bring a fugitive back to the country requesting extradition. They are the independence and sovereignty of each member state; neutrality; cooperation; and respect for human rights. —Jane Bautista