Lawyer says cops threatened woman to testify vs. Teves

The legal counsel of Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves on Tuesday said police threatened one of the people who were arrested during last week's raids to testify against the congressman.

“One of those arrested during the raid, a woman by the name of Hannah Mae is now complaining to us that she’s been pressured and threatened with physical abuse by the police in order to force her to testify against Congressman Teves,” Atty. Ferdinand Topacio told CNN.

Hannah Mae Sumerano Oray is one of the six people arrested in the raid of Teves' house last week.

“We will just bring this to the attention of the CHR because human rights are not strictly speaking a court. It is a constitutional body and the manner by which complaints are made is more casual than that of the courts,” he said.

GMA News Online has reached out to the CIDG and the Philippine National Police for comment but they have yet reply.

The raid done in Teves' home is in connection with the cases filed against him over allegedly being the mastermind of killings in 2019. Complaints have been filed against six people who were arrested during the raid police said Tuesday.

Topacio, however, said the lawmaker does not own the firearms allegedly retrieved from his houses.

The lawyer said cops also prevented one of Teves’ sons from boarding a plane before the raid.

“One of his sons wanted to travel domestically right before the raid but he was prevented by the police for boarding a plane for absolutely no legal reason,” Topacio said.

Meanwhile, the Negros Oriental Representative has yet to return to the Philippines due to supposed security concerns.

Teves was given clearance by the House of Representatives to travel to the United States from February 28 to March 9 for a personal trip. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla last week said Teves has left the US and was “somewhere in Asia.” —VAL, GMA Integrated News