Court allows Teves bail, but detention continues
MANILA., Philippines — Former Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo Teves was allowed by a Manila Court to post bail for one of the murder cases he is facing, but will not be released yet due to other pending charges.
While Teves was tagged in the 2023 Pamplona Massacre, which saw the death of Teves’ rival Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others, the case he was allowed to post bail for was not related to this.
The former lawmaker was allowed bail for the 2019 killing of Lester Bato, the bodyguard for a mayoral candidate. Teves’ counsel Ferdinand Topacio released the 29-page decision to reporters.
In the decision, the Manila court said that upon examination, it found the absence of several qualifying circumstances in Bato’s killing.
“The bond to be posted by this accused Arnolfo Alipit Teves Jr. for his temporary liberty in this case shall be an amount of [P120,000],” Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 12 presiding judge Renato Enciso said.
However, Teves will not be released from custody yet due to his other pending charges.
What happened before
Aside from the Pamplona massacre, Teves was also tagged in the deaths of three other people, including Bato.
In 2019, former National Bureau of Investigation agent and Negros Oriental board member Michael Dungog, bodyguard Bato, and alleged hitman Pacito Libron were killed.
His alleged co-conspirators in the case were Hannah Mae Sumerano, Richard Cuadra, Jasper Tanasan, Alex Mayagma, and Rolando Pinili.
The murder charges for these three deaths were filed several months after the Degamo killing in 2023, when suspicion around Teves grew.
At the time that these charges were filed, Teves was abroad, refusing to come home to face the charges against him.
He was eventually caught in Timor-Leste before being returned to the Philippines to face his cases.
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