MANILA, Philippines — Staff members working for recently expelled congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. will also lose their jobs at the House of Representatives unless they are rehired by his replacement, the House secretary-general of the lower chamber said.
“His physical office is still present. However, the policy dictates that all of a congressman's staff are coterminous. This means that at the end of the congressman's term, they will need to vacate the room or depart from the office,” House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said in a press conference on Thursday.
Positions that are coterminous mean that their employment ends simultaneously with the end of the congressman's term.
After the House expelled Teves on Wednesday, his House staff are also out of office “unless they are rehired by the caretaker,” according to Velasco.
“We're still awaiting the House leadership decision on who will be the caretaker for the district of Mr. Arnolfo Teves,” the House Secretary said.
Velasco said that in the past, the representatives of the neighboring districts will serve as legislative caretaker of a vacated district. Lawmakers representing the first and second districts of Negros Oriental are Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong and Rep. Manuel Sagarbarria, respectively.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez previously took over as temporary caretaker of the third district of Negros Oriental when Teves was first suspended.
Philstar.com has reached out to Velasco and Teves’ staff for more details. We will be updating this story with their response.
Velasco added that the House has informed the Commission on Elections about Teves’ expulsion and will be waiting for their response on whether a special election will be held to fill his position as district representative of Negros Oriental.
Teves’ office has also been sent a letter informing him of his expulsion, which the House plenary voted on during Wednesday’s plenary session.
Teves' expulsion is considered the first ever in the history of the lower chamber, Velasco said.
In particular, the House ethics panel said it arrived at its decision after it took “painstaking time and effort to inquire with several concerned national government agencies” that could detail recent developments with regard to Teves’ actions.
The House ethics panel recommended Teves’ expulsion for the following reasons:
- Teves’ ongoing and persistent pursuit of his application for political asylum in the country of Timor-Leste;
- Teves’ continuous absence without leave in the House of Representatives in violation of the House Rules;
- Teves’ designation as a terrorist by the Anti-terrorism Council-among other criminal charges which reflects discredit on the House of Representatives;
- Teves’ indecent behavior portrayed in social media which reflects discredit on the House of Representatives and diminishes the stature of the position.
The House had previously served two consecutive 60-day suspensions on the embattled lawmaker after his refusal to return despite the expiry of his travel clearance in March. Teves cited fears for his and his family’s safety as reasons for staying out of the country, going so far as to seek political asylum in Timor-Leste.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla previously asserted that Teves is the primary mastermind behind the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, describing him as an "executive producer" of the plan. Teves has consistently denied this allegation.