The Manila Regional Trial Court’s acquittal of former Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. in connection with the killing of a former provincial board member is painful and difficult to accept, Rep. Janice Degamo (Negros Oriental, 3rd District) said on Friday, Jan. 16.
“This morning, it was brought to my attention that Arnie Teves has been acquitted in one of the murder cases filed in relation to incidents that occurred in 2019,” she said in a Facebook post.
She emphasized that the ruling does not erase the fact that there are still multiple ongoing court trials for other 2019 murder cases, as well as for the Pamplona massacre that took the life of her husband, Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.
“Those proceedings continue, and so does our pursuit of accountability”, she said.
Degamo said she stands in solidarity with the families of all the victims.
“I remain committed to supporting them as they continue to seek justice through the proper legal processes. Our pain is shared, our resolve is collective, and our voices will not be silenced by setbacks along the way,” she said.
“Justice is not always swift, and it is never easy, but I believe it will prevail. For my husband. For every victim. For every family left behind. We will continue to hope, to endure, and to fight for truth and justice.”
Earlier, Teves’ lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, confirmed that the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 15 handed down the acquittal for Teves, Richard Cuadra, and Rolando Pinili on January 5.
The three men were cleared of charges related to the 2019 murder of Miguel Lopez Dungog, who previously served as a board member for the province of Negros Oriental.
In its ruling, the court found that the prosecution failed to establish sufficient initial evidence to support the case against the defendants, leading to the dismissal of the charges.*
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