19-4-2024 (MANILA) The Department of Justice (DOJ) has formally requested Timor Leste authorities to expedite the extradition or deportation of former Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo Teves, Jr. amidst allegations of bribery involving a member of the Criminal Investigation Police.
According to the DOJ statement released on Thursday, there were reports suggesting that Teves Jr.’s son allegedly offered a bribe to a member of the PCIC (Criminal Investigation Police) amounting to $2,000 or approximately P114,000. The purported bribe was intended to secure “security” both inside and outside Becora Prison.
Teves is currently facing multiple charges, including murder, frustrated murder, and attempted murder, in connection with the death of former Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others.
Since his arrest in March by Timorese authorities based on an International Police red notice, Teves has been held in pre-trial detention at Becora Prison.
The DOJ emphasized that there is mounting pressure in Timor Leste for Teves’s swift extradition or deportation to demonstrate the country’s commitment to not harbouring international fugitives.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla reiterated the need for Teves to face justice in the Philippines, stating, “Let us stop playing hide and seek with the law, one cannot evade accountability for eternity. Prolonging your liabilities with the rule of law only worsens your predicament.”
In response to the alleged bribery incident, Teves’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, declined to comment, dismissing the DOJ’s information as mere hearsay. He also criticised the Secretary of Justice’s statements, describing them as often inaccurate.
The DOJ sourced the information from an article published on a local website in Timor Leste, hatutan.com. A translated version of the article revealed that a PCIC member purportedly requested $2,000 from Teves’s son in exchange for “maximum security” for the former lawmaker.
