DOJ Wins Extradition Case vs. Arnie Teves in Timor Leste
ARNIE TEVES – Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio confimed that they filed an appeal for the reversal of the extradition ruling in Timor Leste.
The Degamo family as well as the families of nine (9) other individuals who died due to an attack at the residence of the late former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo remains in the pursuit of seeking justice. The main suspect in the case, former Negros Oriental 3rd District Congressman Arnie Teves, has yet to return to the Philippines.
Teves was already in abroad when the authorities identified him as a suspect in the death of Degamo. Their families are political rivals in their province. Teves’ younger brother, Pryde Henry Teves, was a gubernatorial candidate who lost to Degamo.
Former Negros Oriental Congressman Arnie Teves denied the accusations against him. As he was already in abroad when he was tagged as the suspect in the Degamo case, the then-Congressman pledged his innocence through the videos he posted online.
Teves, amid calls from the national government to go home to the country and face the accusations against him, refused to fly back to the Philippines. He was tagged as a fugitive. The Department of Justice initiated an extradition case against the former Negros Oriental Congressman in Timor Leste.
Teves was arrested in Timor Leste. He was released from jail and re-arrested as part of the law proceedings in the foreign country. Several officials of the Philippine government, former and incumbent, went to Timor Leste to testify against the former Congressman in the extradition case filed against him.
Recently, the Timor Leste Court released its decision which favored the DOJ on the extradition case versus former Cong. Arnie Teves. The Philippine justice department expects Teves to be home by July. However, the lawyer of the former Congressman confirmed that they have filed an appeal for the reversal of the court’s decision.
Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Attorney Ferdinand Topacio said that they filed the appeal for the reversal of the case decision before the Timor Leste Court of Appeals last Friday. According to the lawyer of former Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative, the Prosecutor-General of Timor Leste has 30 days to respond to the appeal.
Furthermore, Atty. Topacio said that “there are also several other appeals regarding other various incidents” filed. They have filed two (2) motions before the Court.
More updates may be posted soon…