Former Negros Oriental Rep Arnolfo Teves after he was arrested by Timor-Leste authorities. Photo courtesy NBI/File

Teves

Adrian Ayalin

Pia Gutierrez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1742524261440Screen Shot 2025-03-21 at 10.30.16 AM.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Former Negros Oriental Rep Arnolfo Teves after he was arrested by Timor-Leste authorities. Photo courtesy NBI/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Negros Oriental Rep Arnolfo Teves after he was arrested by Timor-Leste authorities. <em>Photo courtesy NBI/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA <strong>(2nd UPDATE)</strong> — Malacañang on Friday said it will exhaust all legal remedies after Timor-Leste&#x27;s appeals court rejected the government&#x27;s request to extradite expelled congressman Arnolfo Teves, who faces criminal cases in the Philippines.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/20/teves-will-not-be-extradited-from-timor-leste-lawyer-says-1803">Teves will not be extradited from Timor-Leste, lawyer says</a></div><p>&quot;Hangga’t makakaya ng administrasyon, ilalaban natin ito para sa hustisya para sa mga diumano’y biktima,&quot; Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a briefing.</p><p>(We will fight on as long as we can for his alleged victims)</p><p>Teves is facing multiple murder cases in connection with the killing of former Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and other individuals in 2023.</p><p>He was arrested in Timor-Leste in March last year. </p><p>The Department of Justice announced in June that the extradition request of the Philippines was granted by the Timor-Leste government.  </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/21/expelled-congressman-teves-arrested-in-timor-leste-2205">Expelled congressman Teves arrested in Timor-Leste</a></div><p>Ferdinand Topacio, one of the lawyers of Teves, showed to the media on Thursday a photo of the court document  that “unanimously” granted their appeal.</p><p>The court noted the “well-founded risk of being subjected to torture, inhuman and degrading or cruel treatment” as the reason to reject the extradition.</p><p>Castro said that the Department of Justice had tried to assure the Timor Leste court that Teves would be safe while being tried in the Philippines.</p><p>She said the government will appeal the rejection and show the court that Teves should be sent back to the Philippines.</p><div><strong>DOJ: BASIS FOR DENIAL OF ETRADITION UNFOUNDED</strong></div><p>Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday said the Philippine government will file a motion for reconsideration before the Timor-Leste Court of Appeal on the extradition.</p><p>“We are exhausting all remedies possible because the flawed notion that we have a death penalty to implement in this country is crazy. There is no basis for that decision,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;So it’s obvious that some people are making money out of this, maybe the lawyers, more than the lawyers,” Remulla said, hinting at potential corruption.</p><p>The justice secretary stressed that the decision premised on the death penalty and torture that Teves might face are unfounded.</p><p>“I don’t know where they are coming from, it’s a decision signed blindly by people who knew nothing about our country,” Remulla said. </p><p>Remulla also assured the families of the victims of the March 4, 2023 attack, including Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, that the DOJ will continue to pursue the multiple murder cases against Teves.</p><p>“We will have to discuss these things, this is a work in progress, it is not easy to run after a fugitive of this country who has lots of money to burn. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/8/teves-still-in-timor-leste-awaiting-outcome-of-extradition-appeal-lawyer-1657">Teves still in Timor Leste, awaiting outcome of extradition appeal: lawyer</a></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mj9KgZvgnco?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/io_P0d7xxZQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Malacañang on Friday reacted on the ruling of Timor Leste's appeals court rejecting the government's request to extradite Arnolfo Teves.</p>

Malacañang on Friday reacted on the ruling of Timor Leste's appeals court rejecting the government's request to extradite Arnolfo Teves.

Palace on Timor-Leste ruling favoring Teves: 'Hangga’t kaya ilalaban natin' | ABS-CBN

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Palace on Timor-Leste ruling favoring Teves: 'Hangga’t kaya ilalaban natin'

Palace on Timor-Leste ruling favoring Teves: 'Hangga’t kaya ilalaban natin'

Adrian Ayalin,

Pia Gutierrez,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 21, 2025 10:41 AM PHT

|

Updated Mar 21, 2025 02:22 PM PHT

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