Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) — Former Negros Oriental Gov. Pryde Teves on Wednesday maintained he has no knowledge how firearms and ammunitions were discovered by authorities inside the property owned by HDJ Bayawan Agri-Venture Corp., a sugar milling company he is managing, noting that it is impossible for him to control a 52-hectare land.
“Within the 52-hectare property, there is a 10-hectare property that we are actively using as part of the mill and housing for our employees,” Teves told CNN Philippines’ The Source. “So ang gated compound na regulated ko ang entry and exit is 10 hectares. ‘Yung 52 hectares kasi hindi gated ‘yan eh, people come in and out because there are also residents there.”
[Translation: So the gated compound where I can regulate entry and exit is 10 hectares. The whole 52 hectares is not gated, people come in and out because there are also residents there.]
If he would have direct knowledge about a part of the whole property, it would only be within the 10-hectare gated area, he emphasized.
Teves is being linked to the assassination of his rival Gov. Roel Degamo, something he already denied.
READ: Pryde Teves: I am willing to cooperate with authorities
Following a tip from an informant, police said they raided the sugar mill property being operated by Teves in Barangay Caranoch, Santa Catalina town in Negros Oriental.
Authorities dug up various firearms, explosives, and bullets during the operations.
Teves said these items were found outside of the regulated 10-hectare land. He also denied owning any of the objects collected.
However, authorities also found a white van containing cash, and other firearms inside the controlled area, he said. Upon checking security records, he said he found out that the vehicle came from the resort of his brother, Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves, one of those being considered as the mastermind behind the death of Degamo.
Search operation within the property is still ongoing, the former governor said. Once this is finished, he said he will further look into how these objects were found in the area.
He also assured authorities of his cooperation in all issues currently surrounding him.
“The only thing I can do is submit myself to the investigation,” Teves said. “That’s why I’m making myself available to it. My only hope is for the investigation to be exhaustive para ma-clear ako (so I can be cleared) through all my transactions.”
He also denied having ties with terrorist groups.
This was after the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said it is looking into possible terrorist-related activities in the province following the confiscation of improvised explosive devices (IED) in the property concerned.
“Look at me, I was a victim of an IED explosion which caused the lives of seven others and almost caused me mine,\” Teves pointed out.
