Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Monday, August 7, that he will never break the law and will leave the claims hurled by Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. (Neg. Or., 3rd District) against him to the proper authorities to handle.
Benitez pointed out that he is bound by the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 that specifies that any person, association, company directly or indirectly dealing with designated terrorists will be subject to certain penalties, which includes reclusion perpetua.
Reclusion perpetua carries a maximum sentence of 40 years.
Teves, in a video circulating on social media, said since he along with his friends and children are being included by the administration in its terror group list, he is challenging the leadership to include Benitez, whom he called his friend, boss and business partner.
He said Benitez, who is close to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his wife, Liza, has been ignoring him and has not even asked how he is despite their being friends. Teves also claimed that Benitez owes him money and should pay him.
Benitez, at a press conference, said he called Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Sunday to ask him certain parameters on how to deal with Teves’ allegations and “he mentioned that it is better that we address this in the proper forum.”
“I have heard there were allegations of certain business dealings, but as of now I have no documents that specifies or even indicates any association” with him, Benitez said.
“There is no documentation that I see that will link us there. Let him say that and I will bring it to the proper forum. As far as I’m concerned there are laws guiding this kind of situation and that is what I will stick to,” Benitez said.
Benitez said he and Teves were colleagues in Congress, and he was an active member of Visayan bloc, “but now the circumstances are different, there are certain things that must be complied. I am the first person that will never, never break the law”.
“It is heartbreaking for me to really see this kind of situation but that’s the law. There are things that we should abide by and cannot do without. As a matter of principle, as a matter of being a public servant, that I will never exchange or even bend for anyone,” he said.
Benitez said Teves best option is to come home and he believes his security can be guaranteed on his return. He could surrender to someone or a group that he feels safe with like the Iglesia ni Cristo that he had helped out before, Benitez said.
The Anti-Terrorism Council earlier declared Teves and 12 others as terrorists for allegedly being involved in the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and other killings.
Teves has denied the accusations against him. *