MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has filed criminal complaints against Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. and his two sons over loose firearms seized in the house of the lawmaker.
PNP Col. Jean Fajardo, spokesperson of the agency, said in a streamed press conference that the complaint was filed before the Department of Justice on Wednesday afternoon.
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Fajardo said the complaints are for illegal possession of firearms, and of explosives.
The PNP spokesperson said that they have secured ten search warrants for different properties in Negros Oriental province. The complaint filed before the DOJ this afternoon stemmed from the search warrant implemented in Teves’ house in Bayawan “where [we] seized high-caliber unlicensed firearms and explosives.”
Fajardo said the lawmaker and his sons will undergo preliminary investigation.
The PNP-CIDG on Tuesday said they have filed illegal possession of firearms and of explosives complaints against the lawmaker’s aide and five others. This was following the raids conducted in five different addresses in Basay and Bawayan City, in Negros Oriental on March 10.
In a March 11 statement, the CIDG said they conducted simultaneous implementation of search warrants through its intensified campaign against loose firearms or Oplan "Paglalansag Omega" in the province of Negros Oriental.
Fajardo explained in the press conference that they sought search warrants from the courts following the filing of multiple murder complaints against Teves and “associates close to him” over 2019 killings. This, the police spokesperson said, prompted them to check whether the respondents are keeping loose firearms.
Teves has yet to return to the Philippines, despite his the expiry of his travel clearance last week. A House of Representatives panel has already directed him to explain his failure to return to Manila.
READ: Teves' lawyers say he intends to come home but security is a concern