Teves faces charges for financing terrorism

MANILA, Philippines — Former Negros Oriental lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr. is facing a new complaint before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for allegedly financing terrorism and providing material support to terrorists.

This is based on a copy of a subpoena dated Nov. 14 where the beleaguered lawmaker was directed to attend the preliminary investigation on Dec. 13 and 19 on a complaint on financing terrorism under Section 4 of Republic Act 10168 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012, as well as RA 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

Teves was directed to file a counter-affidavit during the preliminary investigation.

The charges were filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and were based on a report of the Anti-Money Laundering Council Report (AMLC) where funds to a designated or proscribed terrorist organization were traced to Teves.

The subpoena also named 15 other individuals including Axl Teves, Teves’ son.

“The money was traced and we were able to probably identify that the money ended up in an organization which was already proscribed or designated as a terrorist,” DOJ spokesman Mico Clavano told reporters in an interview.

For his part, Teves’ lawyer Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, who attended the preliminary investigation, said they were not able to file a counter-affidavit as they have yet to receive copies of the complaint.

“We couldn’t draft a counter-affidavit and whatever we needed to submit because we do not have copies, and other respondents who did have copies do not have clear ones,” he told reporters in a separate interview.

He also said they have also filed an opposition to the cancellation of Teves’ passport, where they argued the presumption of innocence of Teves and the right of every citizen to hold a Philippine passport.

Last August, Teves was designated by the Anti-Terrorism Council as a terrorist and leader of an alleged armed group due to alleged killings and harassment in his home province.

He was also tagged as the mastermind in the March 4 killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others, where he is already issued a warrant of arrest by a Manila court.

Teves is also facing a separate warrant of arrest for a murder case in the killings of three individuals in Negros Oriental in 2019.

Teves, who was expelled by the House of Representatives in August for disorderly conduct and continued absence despite an expired travel authority, is yet to return to the country to face charges lodged against him.

The former lawmaker is reportedly in Timor-Leste where he previously sought asylum but was denied by the Timor-Leste government.

Teves has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.

According to the DOJ, it has already started its application to the International Police to have Teves included in the “red notice.”