Timor-Leste court OKs Teves return to PH

Arnolfo Teves Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is expecting to see former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. back in the country soon to face murder charges after the Court of Appeals in Timor-Leste granted the Philippine government’s extradition request for the second time.

While acknowledging that Teves could still appeal the latest decision of the Timor-Leste appeals court, Justice Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano IV on Friday said this could be the last chance for the dismissed lawmaker to resort to that legal remedy.

READ: Timor-Leste grants extradition request vs Teves for 2nd time

According to Clavano, the DOJ is confident that the decision will no longer change since this is the second time the Timor-Leste government granted the Philippines’ extradition request since June.

“In a way, we have seen the sentiment of the [Timor-Leste] justices, right? This is already the second instance, and their decision remains the same. That’s why we don’t, we do not expect that Timor-Leste’s decision will change,” he said.

“They respected our laws in the decision. They used our own laws, and they also used international law in coming up with this very sound decision. So we are happy and we welcome this decision. This is something that we have been looking forward to and we will not stop until [Teves] faces the charges here in the Philippines,” Clavano added.

Teves has been named as the alleged mastermind behind the slaying of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo in Pamplona town on March 4, 2023. Nine others were also killed with Degamo when a group of armed men barged into the family compound where the governor was meeting with constituents.

Teves is facing 10 counts of murder, 12 counts of frustrated murder and four counts of attempted murder in the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51. He, however, had denied all allegations.

Following an Interpol red notice in February, Teves was arrested on March 21 in Dili, Timor-Leste, while playing golf.

Bringing justice

In a decision on Dec. 2, the Timorese Court of Appeals, through a majority vote of two, granted the Philippines’ extradition request, citing the criminal charges filed against Teves.

“It is clear from the extradition request that the State of the Philippines is seeking extradition for criminal proceedings on the grounds that the extraditee (Teves) is the mastermind of several murders, some of which were committed and others thwarted and attempted, and not on the grounds that the extraditee supported this or that presidential candidate and is or is not a political enemy,” the decision read.

“The extradition request is not made for political purposes, but only to bring justice to the numerous victims of the multiple crimes of murder, frustrated murder and attempted murder mentioned above,” it added.

Teves had also told the court that he feared for his life should he be sent back to the Philippines. But the appeals court said there was not enough evidence to support such claims, especially after the Philippine government assured in its request that it would abide by international and domestic laws against torture.

First request

“The witness Topacio said that the extraditee did not return to the Philippines because he was informed that there was political persecution against him, but he was not credible on this point since the Court was convinced that the extraditee did not return in order not to answer the criminal charges at issue in the present extradition proceedings,” the court said, referring to Ferdinand Topacio, one of Teves’ lawyers.

In June, the Court of Appeals in Timor-Leste granted the Philippine government’s request to extradite Teves. Teves’ camp, however, filed a motion for reconsideration the following month, but it was denied in August.

In September, Teves’ return was further delayed as his extradition case underwent “new proceedings.”

The DOJ, in an earlier statement, said that Teves’ legal team had challenged the court’s extradition decision, citing concerns over the number of judges involved.

“This is a clear afterthought, raised only after the proceedings concluded unfavorably for him,” the DOJ said.

It noted that Teves and his legal team had been fully engaged in the process and given every opportunity to present their case. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH