Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) — The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs “unanimously agreed” to not allow Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. to attend its Monday hearing into the assassination of Roel Degamo, the panel’s chairman said.
“The members of this committee unanimously agree not to allow the virtual presence of Congressman Teves but the doors are not completely shut down to him,” Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa said on Monday. “If he wants to come here physically, we will entertain.”
Sen. Risa Hontiveros explained during the hearing that the rules of Senate inquiries require that witnesses be placed under oath prior to giving their testimony. However, Teves is not in the country to do this.
Sen. Francis Tolentino noted that an amendment made to procedures a year earlier allow witnesses abroad to take their oath in the Philippine embassy or consulate in the country where they are located.
Despite this, Dela Rosa said the panel agreed not to allow Teves to virtually attend the hearing.
Dela Rosa also said that Teves called him on Sunday.
“For transparency purposes, tumawag sakin si Teves kahapon. Sabi ko ‘bakit hindi ka mag-attend physically?’ Sabi niya he is under threat,” the senator said.
[Translation: Teves called me yesterday. I said ‘why don’t you attend physically?’ He said he is under threat.]
He added that Teves refused to disclose his location.
This comes after Dela Rosa disclosed that Teves had committed to attend the hearing virtually. Pamplona Town Mayor Janice Degamo, widow of the slain governor, urged the Senate to reconsider Teves’ virtual attendance.
READ:
Dela Rosa: Rep. Arnie Teves to virtually attend Senate inquiry into Degamo slay
Degamo widow to Senate: Reconsider Teves’ virtual attendance in slay probe
The Department of Justice has named Teves as the main mastermind and “executive producer” behind the Degamo assassination. It saId that no arrest warrants had yet been issued against him.
Senate’s rejection ‘unfair’
Teves’ lawyer called the Senate panel unfair for blocking his client from virtually attend the hearing, which would merely act as an “echo chamber” and leave his side unheard.Para sa amin po, ang unfair ay hindi po pinayagan si Cong. Teves sabihin ang kaniyang panig sa pandinig na ito,” said Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, the congressman’s legal counsel, during an online press conference.[Translation: For us, the unfair thing is that Cong. Teves was not allowed to say his side in this hearing.]Topacio said other “fundamental unfairness” are the lack of a trial by publicity as well as statements made by the Department of Justice that he claimed appear to implicate Teves while the preliminary investigation is still ongoing.Meanwhile, Teves said the senators asked him to join the hearing.
“Totoo, nagusap kami ni Bato (Dela Rosa). Pero nag-ano lang ako, hindi naman ako nagrequest na isali nila ako sa hearing. Sila yung nagimbita at sila pa nagsabi na pwedeng Zoom (video conference),” Teves said.
[Translation: It’s true, Bato (Dela Rosa) and I talked. But what did I do, I didn’t request that they include me in the hearing. They are the ones who invited and they even said that Zoom (video conference) is possible.]
