Where is Teves?

As expected, the ten suspects accused in the brutal massacre of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others on March 4 this year have recanted their sworn testimonies at the Department of Justice (DOJ). The ten suspects asked the Manila Regional Trial Court to quash the DOJ multiple murder charges against them that they allegedly admitted under duress.

Represented now by lawyers of their own choice, they also requested the court to order for their medical examination for alleged torture to force them to point to suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnulfo Teves as the mastermind of the Degamo slay. Fearing for their lives, they asked the court to keep them detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) facility in Manila instead of alleged plans to transfer them to the Manila City Jail. Pending resolution of their requests, the court reset the arraignment of the ten suspects to July 19.

Meanwhile, the DOJ is still undertaking its preliminary investigation against Teves who remains in the wind. He was meted another 60-day suspension and forfeiture of his all committee membership at the House of Representatives. The House committee on ethics and privileges, chaired by COOP-NATCCO party-list Rep. Felimon Espares recommended the “stiffer” disciplinary measures after first imposing 60 days of suspension on Teves.

Teves earlier flew to the United States purportedly for medical reasons since Feb. 28. This was four days before the assassination of Degamo that he vehemently denied any involvement of. Teves has since then refused to return to the country on alleged “very grave” threats on his life and his family’s safety.

One after the other, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez urged Teves to return to the Philippines and answer the accusations against him. Just hours after PBBM reiterated his call on Teves last March 23 to return home, the House voted unanimously, 292-0 to suspend the congressman for “disorderly conduct.”

Teves won’t return unless he sees a semblance of impartiality of all concerned authorities on his case, his defense counsel Ferdinand Topacio declared in our Kapihan sa Manila Bay breakfast news forum last Wednesday. Topacio though invoked lawyer-client confidentiality to explain his refusal to tell the exact whereabouts of his client. Topacio argued that Teves remains a Filipino who is entitled to the right of travel, the right of self-preservation, among other rights we all enjoy under our country’s 1987 Constitution.

Teves is reportedly still in Cambodia while applying for political asylum in Timor Leste, according to the latest update from Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla. Teves is reportedly waiting for the decision of the Timor Leste government to reconsider the denial of his political asylum bid.

In behalf of his client, Topacio renewed his call to Remulla to give his client a fair shake of justice that the DOJ Secretary represents. Topacio reiterated what they see as apparent “concerted pattern to frame up” the Congressman to justify the reluctance of his client to come back home.

Topacio disclosed his client has yet to get a copy and read the bill of particulars on the alleged crimes that the DOJ Secretary has been publicly accusing Teves of. His client was also accused of illegal possession of firearms and explosives and implicated to the other political killings in the past in Negros Oriental. Topacio wondered aloud on what ground by which the DOJ Secretary is reportedly contemplating to file violations of the Anti-Terrorism Law against Teves.

In the meantime, Topacio cautioned the House leadership against expulsion of Teves for his un-intended absences at the Lower House sessions. “It will set a bad precedent and it might come to bite them (Congress) back in the future,” Topacio pointed out.

After they voted to suspend Teves again, Speaker Romualdez justified the sanction, citing that they – as legislators – cannot be above the law as they are lawmakers themselves. The Speaker has taken over as “caretaker” of the third district of Negros Oriental since the first 60-day suspension on Teves.

“Someone there wants iron-grip of the House for plans of higher platform,” Topacio snickered at his own digs to the House leadership.

Topacio is known for being the lawyer in the other high-profile cases like those involving former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) on her electoral sabotage case, and the murder case against ex-Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes. Both GMA and Reyes subsequently got acquitted after years of suffering public trial of their cases outside the courts, Topacio bewailed.

Topacio disclosed having advised Teves to consider a return to the country on the strength of public assurances of government authorities for his safety. “I told him (Teves) it doesn’t look good for you if you won’t come back here.” To which, Topacio quoted Teves’ retort: “It would not look good if I’m already a corpse.”

Incidentally, almost three months serving as Negros Oriental Governor following the death of Degamo, Carlo Jorge Joan “Guido” Reyes passed away on Wednesday morning due to his lingering illness.

What boggles the mind though of the public is the seeming accessibility of the media to get hold of Teves for interviews via zoom but government authorities could not get him back here. In his interview by CNN Philippines last Tuesday, Teves suspected he might again be “used to distract” public attention away in the rush approval of the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill.

“There are many wrong things happening in the Philippines. I’m being used as a cover up,” Teves claimed.

As his lawyer, Topacio echoed the laments of Teves and drew parallelism of his previous clients. Topacio recalled his clients were similarly convicted before the bars of public opinion but later acquitted and cleared by the courts.

But where is Teves? “I am not Jesus Crispin Remulla,” Topacio riposted. The flamboyant lawyer wisecracked: “Your guess is as good as mine.”