Former Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo A. Teves Jr., who was deported from Timor-Leste, has been turned over to the facility of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City on Friday, May 30.
“We will accord him all his rights. Proteksyunan namin na hindi s’ya masaktan sa aming pangangalaga (We will protect him and ensure that he will not get hurt while under our care),” said NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago during a press conference.
Santiago, who was part of the team that picked up Teves in Timor-Leste, also assured that no special treatment will be given to the former congressman.
“Walang hocus pocus doon. Parehas ang treatment. Walang torture, walang ano pa man (There is no hocus pocus there. There is equal treatment. There is no torture or whatever),” he also said.
Teves, who has been declared a terrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council, has been ordered arrested by the courts on charges of multiple murder, multiple attempted murder, and other criminal offense.
He left the Philippine before the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo on March 4, 2023 and did not return since then. His unofficial leave of absences prompted the House of Representatives to expel him as a member.
Teves then fled to Timor-Leste where he sought political asylum. Last May 27, he was arrested by Timor-Leste authorities and turned over to the Philippine government. He arrived in Manila on Thursday night, May 29.
Santiago said the turnover of Teves to the NBP was reached with the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) which provided Building 14 of the NBP to be used as exclusive detention facility of the NBI.
“Detention facility po ‘yun ng NBI under our control. Tao po namin ang nakabantay doon (It is a detention facility under NBI control. It is manned by our people),” said Santiago who pointed out that the detainees there are separated from Bilibid’s inmates.
He said that Teves will be detained in a separate room to allow him to acclimatize himself.
He also said that the NBI will “immediately return the warrant to the courts accompanied by our certificate of detention.”
“Now the courts will then set the arraignment kasi ‘pag arraignment doon na nakaka-acquire ng jurisdiction ang court (because it is the arraignment that will place Teves under the jurisdiction of the court),” he explained.
Aside from the Manila regional trial court (RTC), Teves had also been charged criminal before the Bayawan City RTC which had also issued an arrest order.
For his part, Teves expressed dismay that he will be detained while the charges against him remain pending.
“Ito lang request ko sa korte na sana mabilis ‘yung kaso. Sa totoo lang kung tatrabahuhin ‘yung kaso sandali lang matapos (I request that the courts resolve the cases quick. I truly believe that if work will be done the cases will be finished quickly). I trust my lawyers pretty well and I know my conscience is clear,” said Teves.
At the same time, Teves said he is also glad to have returned to the Philippines since he has not seen his mother for two years and has missed the funeral of his father who died just last December.
Teves also thanked the NBI for treatment accorded to him.
“Pasalamat tayo kay Direktor at sa lahat ng staff ng NBI. Magandang ‘yung pagtrato nila sa akin magmula sa pagkuha sa akin hanggang ngayon (I thank the NBI director and all of the NBI staff. They treated me well since they got me and up to now),” he also said.
He explained that he fled the Philippines due to threats against him. “I feel safer with the NBI detention,” he said.
Santiago attributed the decision of the Timor-Leste government to deport Teves to the moves made by President Marcos.
“Sa magandang pakikipag-ugnayan ng ating Pangulo, President Bongbong Marcos, sa Presidente ng Timor-Leste, si Presidente Jose Ramos-Horta, nagdecide po ang government ng Timor-Leste to finally turn over to us si Congressman Teves so that he can answer the charges against him (Because of the good relationship of President Marcos and Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta, the Timor-Leste government decided to deport Teves so he can answer the charges against him),” Santiago also said.
