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Teves camp ready for possible cases related to Degamo slay


The camp of suspended Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. on Tuesday said they are ready to face possible cases against the lawmaker in relation to the assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.

“Notwithstanding the protestations and the artifices of our officials that they are trying to be impartial by using the words ‘he may be involved,’ ‘it is possible,’ I think it is leading to that,” Ferdinand Topacio, Teves’ counsel, told CNN Philippines when asked if they expect his client to be charged in court.

“Anyone who has a modicum of perception will know that that is where this is leading,” he added.

Topacio issued the remark a day after Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Teves is among those being considered as one of the masterminds behind the killing.

Teves is also being linked to the crime after suspects in the killing pointed to a certain “Cong. Teves” as the one who ordered the hit.

Asked if they are prepared for cases to be filed against Teves, Topacio said, “Yes.” 

He also urged the Justice Secretary to file a case against Teves “if they have evidence.”

“Stop the juridical striptease. They’re peeling off one partial clothing at a time… i-file niyo na. Criminal organization pala, illegal gambling pala, private army pala, file the case,” he said.

“So in the meantime, well, di ba, STFU until you file it because you know you’re prejudicing the minds of your prosecutors, you’re prejudicing the mind of your people, you’re indulging in trial by publicity,” Topacio added.

According to Topacio, he was not surprised that Teves is being implicated in the assassination, saying he had even warned the congressman that he would be so.

“The minute that I learned that Governor Roel Degamo was assassinated, I immediately called my client and said, ‘Pare, sigurado ako idadawit ka dito. I can feel it in my bones because I’ve been there before’,” he said.

(The minute I learned that Governor Roel Degamo was assassinated, I immediately called my client and said, ‘Bro, I’m sure that you will be implicated. I can feel it in my bones because I’ve been there before.)

“Sabi niya, ‘Papaano nila ako idadawit? Ano kinalaman ko diyan.’ Sabi ko, ‘Well, I hope so. I hope I’m proven wrong’,” he added.

(He said, ‘How can they implicate me? What’s my involvement in this?’ I said, ‘well, I hope so. I hope I’m proven wrong.'”)

Topacio said Remulla is also making “obliquities and innuendos” against his client.

“What is alarming here is that the Secretary of Justice himself is making obliquities and innuendos as to the guilt of my client. To me that is highly improper because the case… relating to the killing of Governor Degamo has yet to reach preliminary investigation stage,” he said.

In a previous interview, Topacio said there is no direct evidence linking Teves to the killing of Degamo.

Teves, who refuses to return to the country due to fears for his safety,  earlier denied involvement in the killing of Degamo. He also appealed for authorities' "fairness" and for investigators to look at all angles in Degamo's killing.

Topacio earlier said Teves is ready to face the allegations of murder against him.

Degamo and eight others were killed while several others were injured after an attack at the governor's home in Negros Oriental on March 4 while he was distributing aid to his constituents. —KBK, GMA Integrated News

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