MANILA, Philippines — The widow of slain Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo protested against Sen. Ronald dela Rosa’s decision to allow suspended Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. (Negros Oriental) to remotely attend the Senate investigation into the string of high-profile killings across the country.
In a letter to Dela Rosa, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo expressed her and other victims’ disappointment at allowing Teves to participate in the hearing virtually, when they will be attending in person.
“The decision has greatly affected the victims who strongly disagree with such an accommodation. We believe all participants in the hearing should be treated equally and be given the same opportunity to attend personally, regardless of their position or status,” Mayor Degamo said.
She added that allowing other resource persons to participate virtually “undermines the value and importance of our presence” and is “unfair to those who will be attending personally.”
Rule XI, Section 22 of the Rules of the Senate allows committees to conduct meetings or hearings remotely “due to force majeure or occurrence of an emergency as determined by the majority of all the members of the Senate which may prevent the senators from physically attending the committee meetings or hearings.”
“Cong. Teves is a fugitive. He should not be afforded such an accommodation,” Mayor Degamo said.
A court has yet to issue a warrant of arrest for Teves, although Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Department of Justice is considering the lawmaker a fugitive as he has not shown up at any legal proceedings.
Dela Rosa said in a text message that he will discuss Mayor Degamo’s letter with members of the Senate public order panel that he chairs and come up with a decision before the hearing on Monday.
Dela Rosa said Thursday that Teves, who Remulla said appears to be the main mastermind behind Governor Degamo’s killing, has committed through his secretary to attend the Senate probe virtually.
The Department of Justice believes that Teves is currently staying in Cambodia, a country which does not have an extradition treaty with the Philippines
Teves has not come home supposedly out of fear for his life since he left for the United States four days before the brutal massacre that killed Degamo and eight others at his residence while the governor was distributing aid.