Teves lawyer decries Senate hearing without client's online presence

Adrian Ayalin, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, the lawyer of Negros Oriental Third District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., decried that his client was not given the chance to speak during the Senate investigation on the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo.Topacio stressed that a link was already given to his client so he can participate online but the Senate Committee on Public Order chaired by Senator Ronald Dela Rosa cancelled the plan.&quot;&#x27;Yun nga po ang kinalulungkot namin, sinasabi ko nga, kung hearing &#x27;yan dapat both sides should be heard, sabi ko nga last week, ang hearing parang tenga yan, kaliwa kanan yung isang tenga ay hindi makarinig ay hard of hearing yon, bingi yon, ang mangyayari diyan, nanganganib, hindi ko naman sinasabing mangyayari, nanganganib na maging echo chamber yan kasi ang vast majority ng inanyayahan nila ay mga nasa panig ni Degamo,&quot; Topacio said.Topacio was at the Department of Justice at the time of the Senate hearing to attend the preliminary investigation on the illegal possession of firearms and explosives case against Teves. The illegal possession of firearms and explosives case is connected to the police raid at the house of Teves on the other supposed killings in Negros Oriental and not the March 4 incident.&quot;Hindi pa po kasi kumpleto yung mga complaint affidavit, ang natanggap po lang namin ay subpoena, hindi naman kami maaring sumagot agad-agaran kung hindi po kumpleto yung ebidensya laban sa amin syempre karapatan naman namin na tingnan ang ebidensya,&quot; Topacio said.Meanwhile, a separate preliminary investigation on the March 4 incident that led to the killing of Degamo and 8 others was also held at the DOJ.Lawyer Levito Baligod, who represent the Degamo family and the other families, attended the preliminary investigation.&quot;Na-affirm lang ng mga witnesses yung mga affidavits nila, so nagsumpa sila ulit sa harap ng mga panel of prosecutors so yun lamang ang nangyari ngayon,” Baligod said.Asked if the families are already complaining that the murder cases against Teves have yet to be filed, Baligod said the families understand that there are procedures that have to be followed.&quot;I think it’s very soon kasi meron naman din kaming sariling mga affidavits na nagtuturo sa kanila and meron ding separate na evidence ang DOJ na di pa nila nilalabas,” Baligod said.Baligod also noted that Remulla himself said publicly that Teves is one of the masterminds behind the March 4 killings.Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin &quot;Boying&quot; Remulla earlier said Teves may be designated as a terrorist amid his continuing absence in the country.&quot;In this case, the activities that led to the killing on March 4, all are covered under the anti-terror law: the recruitment, the financing, the purchase of firearms, the distribution of firearms,&quot; Remulla said, referring to the assassination of Negros Oriental Roel Degamo. The Department of Justice previously said that Teves was considered one of the masterminds in the assassination of Degamo and eight others. The lawmaker said he and his clan had nothing to do with the crime. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/17/23/cong-teves-may-be-designated-as-terrorist-remulla">Cong. Teves may be designated or proscribed as terrorist, says Remulla</a></li></ul>

Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, the lawyer of Negros Oriental Third District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., decried that his client was not given the chance to speak during the Senate investigation on the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo.

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Teves lawyer decries Senate hearing without client's online presence

Teves lawyer decries Senate hearing without client's online presence

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 17, 2023 05:24 PM PHT

Read More:

Senate

DOJ

Department of Justice

Arnolfo Teves Jr.

Roel Degamo

Ferdinand Topacio

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