Teves en route to PH from Timor-Leste

Metro Manila, Philippines - Expelled Rep. Arnie Teves is on his way back to the Philippines after he was deported from Timor-Leste, his legal counsel said on Thursday, May 29.

Ferdinand Topacio said his client has boarded a government plane.

Teves has sought political asylum in Timor-Leste, evading arrest for murder charges over the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine others. He was in Timor Leste with a canceled passport and without a visa.

The government of Timor-Leste said allowing Teves to stay in the country can affect its bilateral ties with the Philippines.

“His extended stay in Timor-Leste for over two years poses a disruptive factor in bilateral relations between the two States and establishes a serious precedent with potential implications for internal security,” The Timor-Leste government said.

“The perception that Timor-Leste might be viewed as a refuge for individuals fleeing international justice undermines the integrity of our borders and our shared efforts to combat transnational crime,” it added.

Teves and his counsel in Timor-Leste, Joao Serra, were arrested by the immigration police on Wednesday.

Teves’ other lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, said he sent representatives to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Immigration, and National Bureau of Investigation to get information on the impending arrival of his client.

“It is hoped that the heads of these agencies will have some sense of legal obligation, if not common decency, left to provide us that information which we, as Mr. Teves’ lawyers, have the right to receive,” Topacio told reporters in a message on Thursday, May 29.

Meanwhile, the DOJ said it has mobilized a joint team to coordinate with the Timorese government.

“As we await the arrival of Mr. Teves, the Philippine Government assures the public and the international community that due process will be strictly observed, and that justice will be pursued without fear or favor,” the agency stated.

Teves is facing 13 counts of murder, 13 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder for crimes committed between 2019 and 2023.