NBI regional head says Teves tried to influence e-sabong raids in Cebu
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate committee on public order on Wednesday heard testimony linking suspended Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. (Negros Oriental) to e-sabong operations that were ordered suspended during the Duterte administration and officially banned by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
Teves has been barred from attending the proceedings virtually but the panel headed by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa said it is willing to give him a chance to air his side if he comes to the hearings personally.
Kicking off the third day of the Senate inquiry into the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, which the Department of Justice said it believes was initiated by Teves, was testimony from National Bureau of Investigation director Rennan Oliva, who said he had been approached by the provincial lawmaker over e-sabong cases.
He said that Teves went to the their regional office after a September 2022 raid on the Amenic N' Calajoan Cockpit in Minglanilla, Cebu, which he said was not even registered with the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. even when e-sabong was allowed.
RELATED: Marcos formalizes Duterte's spoken order to suspend e-sabong
He said Teves, who had set a meeting with him through a fellow NBI official, was with "a certain Mr. Tomasino Alegro and entourage" when he visited the NBI office in Cebu. He said he was told by Teves that he was no longer connected to e-sabong but had friends who were.
He added Teves warned him that a case would be filed against NBI personnel over the raid for allegedly stealing P7 million in the raid. He said that Teves told him that he "will spare me from the case" if raids against e-sabong facilities would turn up "negative."
He said that the encounter led to intensified raids against the online betting scheme and a case against him and others before the Office of the Ombudsman for, among other things, the alleged theft of P9 million from Amenic N' Calajoan Cockpit. "The supposed amount already got bigger," Oliva remarked in Bisaya, "it went from P7 million to P9 million."
He said the filing of the complaint was preceded by the release on social media of spliced videos suggesting irregularities in the Minglanilla raid.
In response to the cases filed at the Office of the Ombudsman, NBI Central Visayas said it took exception to the allegations. "We believe that this issue is related to the refiling of cases by NBI-7 against the illegal e-sabong operators and staff of Amenic n' Calajoan who continue to defy the order of the president to stop illegal e-sabong activities," it is quoted in news reports as saying.
Oliva read parts of the statement at the hearing on Wendesday.
Teves' past involvement in e-sabong
Gov. Degamo's widow—Pamplona, Negros Oriental Mayor Janice Degamo—on Tuesday told the panel that it was public knowledge in the province that Rep. Teves ran "e-sabong" and Small Town Lottery operations in Negros Oriental and Cebu. STL, like e-sabong until it was banned, is licensed by Pagcor.
Teves has remained outside the country even after a travel authority granted by the House of Representatives already lapsed. He said that he is staying away because of security threats. He also said in a video message that there were moves originating from the Palace to pin him down over e-sabong. He also stressed that he is no longer involved in e-sabong.
President Marcos said then that the security sector had not monitored any threats to Teves.
"No, the bottomline of this is the killing of Governor Degamo. We already had a problem with e-sabong before, but this is not what it is about," the president also said then. — Jonathan de Santos
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