Jamaine Punzalan

Former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. is brought to the National Bureau of Investigation office in Quezon City the morning of May 30, 2025 after he was flown back to the Philippines following his arrest in Timor-Leste in relation to the 2023 killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Karen De Guzman

Annie Perez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1748573965703viber_image_2025-05-30_10-57-03-234.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. is brought to the National Bureau of Investigation office the morning of May 30, 2025 after he was flown back to the Philippines following his arrest in Timor-Leste in relation to the 2023 killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA (UPDATED) — Former congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. to on Friday was transferred to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa, hours after his deportation from Timor-Leste. </p><p>Wearing a bulletproof vest and kevlar helmet, Teves was transported in a bulletproof vehicle to the NBI detention facility inside Bilibid. </p><p>“Ilalagay muna natin siya sa solo na room para mag-acclimate siya in being a detainee,” NBI Director Jaime Santiago said.</p><p>The NBI said Teves will not receive VIP treatment and strict protocols would be enforced.</p><p>Family members of those who were slain on March 4, 2023 in Pamplona town, expressed their joy that the alleged mastermind to the crime has finally arrived in the Philippines.</p><p>Expelled third district representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., is now under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation to face the charges lodged against him.</p><p>“Kami, we are truly delighted. We are happy, we are in cloud 9 that what we have been waiting for… what we have been praying for so long have finally happened,” said Janice Degamo, widow of slain Governor Roel Degamo.</p><p>“We couldn’t believe our eyes, we couldn’t believe what we have heard,” she added.</p><p>Family members of the nine others who were slain were in tears.</p><p>“Nalipay gyod ko… Nagpasalamat gyod kog dako nga akong pag-ampo nga mahatagan og hustisya sa akong asawa (I am so happy. I am very thankful because my prayer that justice be given to my wife is answered),” said Barangay Captain Lalay Kinkito whose wife, was murdered.</p><p>They are hoping for a speedy trial now that Teves is in the Philippines.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:495px;height:1073px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1928322452070789183&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-05-30T03%3A45%3A13.974240%3A6c8833a0-61c5-41d7-870d-7427fc0b1f85%26action%3Dcorrect&amp;sessionId=c6bf50d26cb10780f3bb3e29d7dbc618a4f96516&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1928322452070789183"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>Teves returned to the Philippines on Thursday night, some two years after he was accused of orchestrating a March 2023 attack that killed then-provincial governor Roel Degamo and nine others. </p><p>Teves faced the media on Friday morning, accompanied by his mother Zenaida Teves and his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio. </p><div><br/></div><div><iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iu_EzeXaC-s" title="LIVE: NBI holds press briefing on expelled lawmaker Arnie Teves | May 30, 2025" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div><p>Teves was detained at a driving range in the capital Dili last year, but a Timorese court blocked his extradition. The Philippines justice secretary suggested the decision may have been bought, saying it was &quot;obvious that some people are making money out of this&quot;.</p><p>In an abrupt turnaround, Timor-Leste announced Teves&#x27; impending deportation late Wednesday, saying his continued presence represented a security risk.</p><p>It added that Timor-Leste &quot;imminent full accession&quot; to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had reinforced its responsibility to collaborate regionally on legal matters.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/29/teves-in-nbi-custody-after-booking-procedures-medical-exam-0652">Teves in NBI custody after booking procedures, medical exam</a></div><p>Teves has denied any hand in the death of Degamo.</p><p>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.</p><p>The killings came months after Degamo was declared winner of a disputed vote, unseating Henry Teves, the ex-lawmaker&#x27;s brother.</p><p>Arnolfo Teves was expelled from the House of Representatives after refusing to return to the Philippines to face murder charges.</p><p>On Wednesday, Teves&#x27; son Axl posted videos on social media of his father being dragged away by Timorese police, claiming he had been &quot;kidnapped&quot;.</p><p>Degamo&#x27;s widow Janice, meanwhile, called the arrest a &quot;significant step toward justice&quot;.</p><div><em>More details to follow.</em></div><div><strong>— With a report from Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);--darkreader-inline-color:var(--darkreader-text-000000, #e8e6e3)" data-darkreader-inline-color=""/></div>

<p>Former congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. to on Friday was transferred to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. </p>

Former congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. to on Friday was transferred to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa.

Teves transferred to Bilibid

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Teves transferred to Bilibid

Karen De Guzman,

Annie Perez,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 30, 2025 10:49 AM PHT

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Updated May 30, 2025 06:27 PM PHT

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Arnie Teves

Arnolfo Teves

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