The Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51 has ordered the transfer of former congressman Arnolfo Teves, Jr. to Camp Bagong Diwa, his lawyer said.

“We received today an order from Branch 51 mandating the transfer of our client to Camp Bagong Diwa,” said Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.

Teves is currently detained at the National Bureau of Investigation facility inside the Bureau of Corrections compound in Muntinlupa City.

Topacio, however, noted that aside from the order of Branch 51, there was an earlier ruling from Branch 12 dated May 30, 2025 to transfer Teves to the Manila City Jail which is under the supervision of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

“Under the prevailing memorandum of the Supreme Court, the earlier order should be followed,” Topacio said.

Teves is facing charges for the murder of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and several others in an attack in 2023.

Degamo had been distributing aid at his home in Pamplona when six people carrying rifles and dressed in military fatigues entered the compound and opened fire on March 4, 2023.

The killings came months after Degamo was declared winner of a disputed vote, unseating Henry Teves, the ex-lawmaker’s brother.

Arnolfo Teves was expelled from the House of Representatives after refusing to return to the Philippines to face murder charges.

He was detained at a driving range in Dili last year, but a Timorese court blocked his extradition. Manila’s justice secretary suggested the decision may have been bought, saying it was “obvious that some people are making money out of this.”

In an abrupt turnaround, Timor-Leste deported Teves in late May, saying his continued presence represented a security risk. (Agence France-Presse)