MANILA, Philippines — It was his defiance of his fellow lawmakers’ call for him to return to the country and show up for work that “warranted” the 60-day suspension of Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolofo Teves Jr., according to a colleague in the House of Representatives.
“His stay outside of the Philippines is unauthorized already, that is why he can no longer participate in the sessions and committee hearings,” Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon, a member of the House committee on ethics and privileges, insisted.
In an interview with the “The Chiefs” aired on One News, the administration legislator squelched insinuations that their two-month suspension of Teves was related to the March 4 murder of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo or may have been prompted by President Marcos’ call for him to return and face charges for the murder of Degamo and several others.
“The House members voted in their personal capacity. I guess the congressmen who cast their votes were aligned to their personal belief that the sanction was worth it to our fellow House member, and given the circumstances behind it,” Bongalon explained.
The Ako Bicol party-list congressman said Teves’ apparent intransigence was why he was not allowed to join the plenary session and deliver his privilege speech, and attend the House ethics committee hearings regarding his case via the Zoom app.
The travel authority issued by the House leadership to Teves on Feb. 28 lapsed last March 9. “It was because his travel authority had expired, aside from his continuing refusal to heed the Speaker’s order. It was a defiance of a lawful order,” Bongalon said.
“There was already a call from the House leadership for him to come home,” Bongalon said, stressing that 292 House members voted to suspend Teves, with not a single objection or abstention.
“The Speaker and the House leadership already assured him that he will be given security once he comes come, but despite all that there was still a continuing defiance on his part. It constitutes a disorderly behavior, disciplinary action for the House member,” he explained.
Bongalon also clarified this was not the first time a congressman was suspended. Records in the House ethics committee in the 1960s have shown that Sergio Osmeña Jr. was suspended for 15 months based on his allegations of bribery against then president Carlos P. Garcia.
“There is a precedent here already. A 15-month suspension was recommended by the House ethics committee to a fellow House member. The others, however, were either not acted upon by the House plenary or have beet set aside,” he told The Chiefs.
When asked what will happen after Teves’ 60-day suspension, Bongalon said they will still have to wait, especially since Degamo’s widow is planning to file a petition in the House ethics committee to have Teves expelled from Congress.
“We’ll see. We’ll cross the bridge when we get there,” he said. – Ghio Ong, Emmanuel Tupas