Expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves, Jr. will not be receiving any special treatment while at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City as he faces his murder cases, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said over the weekend.
Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez, in a news forum, said Teves would be given all rights of the accused and due process, stating that the country’s judicial system is at work and functioning.
Everybody, including Teves, is treated equally under the law, Vasquez said.
The former lawmaker was temporarily detained at the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) detention facility in the Bureau of Corrections compound on Friday, May 30, while waiting for a court decision on where to detain him.
For now, Teves awaits the formal schedule of his arraignment.
The DOJ has also assured the Timor-Leste government that the conditions set on Teves’ deportation will be followed, including guarantees against the death penalty, torture and inhumane treatment.
Earlier, the Timor-Leste government decided to deport and ban Teves for 10 years as it considers his presence a “threat to national security and interests.”
Teves is facing a string of charges, including 10 counts of murder — among them the high-profile 2023 assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo — along with 12 counts of frustrated murder and four counts of attempted murder.
He and several associates have also been designated as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council, accused of orchestrating multiple killings and acts of harassment in Negros Oriental.
Share a cell
Teves’ legal counsel, Ferdinand Topacio, said Teves will share a room with another inmate at the New Bilibid Prison.
Topacio said the facility is the same as any other cell, as his client will thus share a 10-square-meter cell with a bunk bed, having a common toilet bowl and a small electric fan with another inmate.
“We have agreed to abide by all rules for detention prisoners, including sharing of cells,” Topacio said in a statement.
“This is to prevent any possible criticism against [NBI Director Jaime] Santiago, whom I have known for quite some time, and personally hold in the highest esteem,” he added.
Teves was flown back to the Philippines on a Philippine Air Force plane on Thursday, May 29, and underwent booking and a medical check-up before being transferred to Bilibid’s Building 14, a facility previously used to house high-profile inmates.
He spent nearly two years in Timor-Leste evading authorities.
At a press conference on Friday, May 30, following his arrival, Teves maintained his innocence and became emotional as his mother, Zenaida Teves, expressed her longing for him.
Teves earlier hoped for a speedy trial of his case, as he is now back in the Philippines after more than two years of seeking asylum in Timor-Leste. / With reports from PNA / ABS-CBN News / JB, WDJ