Former Negros Oriental Congressman Arnolfo Teves, Jr. will undergo “major surgery” at a hospital in Taguig City, according to his lawyer Atty. Ferdinand Topacio.
This, after he was rushed to a hospital yesterday morning due to “severe stomach pains.”
“After being examined at a government hospital this morning until mid-afternoon, the doctors therein decided that Mr. Teves’ condition requires major surgery in another hospital with additional equipment and facilities,” said Topacio.
According to Topacio, the government doctors at the public hospital where Teves was initially brought recommended his transfer to St. Luke’s.
Topacio said Bureau of Jail Management and Penology protocols on serious emergency cases were followed.
“All trial courts before which Mr. Teves has pending cases have been informed of the situation by way of the most expeditious means possible,” said Topacio.
The lawyer said that Teves had been “complaining of severe stomach pains since midnight last night, but was given medical attention at 5:00 in the morning and transported to the hospital an hour ago.”
Topacio also alleged that the BJMP initially refused to bring Teves to the hospital.
“Our client was buckling over due to pain, and according to him, he was practically on his knees, requesting to be brought to a hospital for treatment, but BJMP personnel could not grant said request due to ‘protocol,'” Topacio said.
He added that it was only upon his insistence, after arriving at Camp Bagong Diwa around 7:00 a.m. that Teves was brought to the hospital.
“By then, pain has become aggravated,” Topacio said.
Meanwhile, the BJMP said Teves was rushed to a government hospital at around 6:00 a.m. and initial symptoms were observed about an hour later.
It said a jail nurse administered appropriate first aid and medication but Teves’ condition did not improve. A BJMP doctor then recommended his immediate transfer to the nearest public hospital for further medical intervention.
Teves remained at an emergency room ward as of 9:00 a.m., where he was “undergoing evaluation and treatment.”
“In line with BJMP protocols for high-profile persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), security measures were significantly heightened. The BJMP has also coordinated with relevant security forces to ensure the safety of all concerned,” it said.
Teves is facing charges for the murder of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and several others in an attack in 2023. These cases are currently pending before Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51.
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.
Degamo’s widow Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo questioned the “level of treatment” accorded to Teves.
“Hospitalized for ‘stomach pains,’ what can we expect next, showing up to court in a wheelchair? We are tired of the delaying tactics, the judicial games and the drama,” Degamo said in a Facebook post.
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. (ABS-CBN News / Agence France-Presse)