Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 14) — Embattled Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. has asked the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges to defer proceedings against him pending complaints in other venues.
Teves’ camp submitted to the panel Monday a signed letter from the lawmaker, citing the committee’s own rules as basis for the deferment of proceedings.
Section 2 of the committee rules state that “(i)f the matter of the complaint against a Member of the House is pending before a judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative body, the Committee shall defer action on the said complaint until final judgment has been rendered by such body.”Teves lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, said they have a pending appeal before the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) on the lawmaker’s terrorist tag.
“Common sense lang naman yan kung bakit kailangang itigil. What if inexpel mo, sinanction mo tapos sabi ng hukuman hindi naman pala guilty? Eh di mali, sayang,” Topacio said on Monday.
[Translation: It’s common sense to see why it should be stopped. What if you expel or impose a sanction and then the court says he’s not guilty? It would be wrong.]
“This is to prevent conflicting decisions from different bodies at ito ay isang [this is an] acknowledgment on the part of the House committee that any House committee is not a trier of facts, it is not a court of law. It is not the most competent to rule on certain issues of facts or law before it,” he added.
The House panel has launched an investigation on Teves’ alleged violation due to his continued absence from the House of Representatives and the ATC’s designation of him as a terrorist.
There’s also a pending complaint against Teves before the Office of the Ombudsman for “abandonment of office,” which is punishable under the Revised Penal Code, Topacio added.Teves is accused of masterminding the March 4 assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. He has denied any wrongdoing but refuses to return to the country, citing alleged threats to his life.
