The National Bureau of Investigation filed multiple raps versus fugitive Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. before the Department of Justice on Wednesday, May 17, for the killing of Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others.
The complaints were for multiple murders, multiple frustrated murders, and multiple attempted murders in Pamplona, Negros Oriental, on March 4.
NBI Director Medardo de Lemos personally attended the filing, which also saw voluminous boxes of evidence submitted to back the charges.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla clarified that they initially received information that Teves purchased a ticket for a Philippine bound flight Wednesday.
Teves’ camp has denied that he had planned to return home. It was fake news, Teves said.
Remulla urged Teves to return to the country and face the charges against him.
“Flight is an indication of guilt, by any language, by any jurisdiction, by any legal system,” he said.
Remulla said the presence of Teves is required if he wants to formally refute the allegations that he masterminded the attack which resulted in the death of their family’s political rival and nine others.
“He (Teves) has to personally appear to swear by the contents of his counter affidavit,” the DOJ chief said adding that the same cannot be done by Teves online or before a Philippine embassy abroad.
“He cannot do that. He has to come home or they can file the case in court and the warrant will be issued in absentia,” Remulla said.
Meanwhile, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) operatives nabbed a police sergeant implicated in two slay attempts in Negros Oriental in a follow-up operation inside Camp Crame in Quezon City on Tuesday.
The CIDG identified the suspect as Staff Sgt. Noel Santa Ana Alabata Jr., who was arrested in front of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group Building in Camp Crame.
He was arrested using two arrest warrants for cases of attempted murder and attempted homicide issued by two courts in Dumaguete City.
“The accused was formerly assigned to PDEG Region 6 (Western Visayas) and allegedly used by the Teves (family) as a hitman for a certain ‘Ong,’ a rival of the Teveses in their business,” CIDG director Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. was quoted as saying in the CIDG statement.
“Our verification is ongoing on the accused who was tagged as gunman of the Teveses to know if he is involved in other cases. We will be fair on all the information that we would obtain to ensure that justice will prevail,” he added.
The CIDG has been focusing on cases of killings in Negros Oriental following the death of Degamo.*PNA