Teves fears being ‘intercepted’ upon return

MANILA, Philippines — Suspended Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. claimed yesterday that an order was issued for immigration officers to apprehend him the moment he arrives in the Philippines.

“There is an order that when I arrive, I will be intercepted. This is the reason why they want me to come home,” he said in Filipino in a video message.

Teves claimed that this order came out even before criminal complaints were filed against him in connection with the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo.

“This is obviously a political persecution and a violation of my human rights,” he said, arguing that he is still “presumed innocent until proven guilty” and should not be arrested even if a case has been filed.

“Now you know why I don’t want to come home… You would see that they are committing abuses against me and, much worse, they have ill intention against my person and life,” he added.

But the Department of Justice yesterday denied these allegations, with Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla saying at a press briefing that they would be “the last people to do something like that.”

“We’ve been observing due process every step of the way possible,” Remulla said, adding that Teves may even be provided security once he returns to the country.

He brushed aside allegations at the way the investigation was done to pin down Teves in the March 4 attack on Degamo that also killed nine other persons.

Also yesterday, lawyer Dennis Villanueva said his clients Osmundo Rivero, Rogelio Antipolo, Romel Pattaguan and Dahniel Lora wrote to the Commission on Human Rights claiming they were “illegally detained” and “denied access to legal counsel” since they were arrested for the Degamo slay.

Members of Rivero’s family were also taken into custody by the National Bureau of Investigation and could no longer be contacted, Villanueva claimed.

But Remulla downplayed this claim, saying it was Rivero’s request to secure his family and put them under the witness protection program.

“These are things that throw you off, that throw us off the focus. We will remain focused on these cases. We will not budge from where we are because they are the accused, they committed the crimes,” Remulla stressed. “Why suddenly these questions that made us appear to be so evil?”

Remulla advised Teves to just come home, instead of making baseless allegations.

“Just go home and face the charges. We did not kill 10 people. Why should we answer the charges? What is that, the pot calling the kettle black? He is the one wanted here, not us. Why should we be defensive?” Remulla said. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab