Arnie Teves on possible House expulsion: I am powerless over Speaker, Chair

Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. on Tuesday said he is powerless over some officials who may push for his expulsion from the House of Representatives.

“It's not that I am ready or I am considering. It's that I am powerless over these people, 'di ba? Sino naman si Arnie para lumaban kay Speaker at sa Chairman dyan,” he said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

(It's not that I am ready or I am considering. It's that I am powerless over these people, right? Who am I to fight back against the Speaker and the Chairman.)

Teves was referring to House Speaker Martin Romualdez and House ethics panel chairperson Felimon Espares.

“Kung ibang klaseng away, labanan ko 'yan e. Pero kung away na sila-sila lang ang gumagawa ng batas o ng rules of the game, paano ako lalaban?” Teves said.

(If it’s another kind of fight, I will fight back. But if the fight only involves rules that they made up, how can I fight back?)

On Monday, the House ethics panel unanimously recommended stiffer disciplinary action against Teves due to his continued absence amid expired travel authority in violation of House rules.

House ethics panel vice chairperson Raul Bongalon said stiffer sanctions would include expulsion and any other penalty that the committee may determine.

In the same interview, Teves’ lawyer Atty. Ferdinand Topacio said some lawmakers were being pressured to vote according to the will of the House leadership.

He also expressed alarm over the presence of Commission on Elections chairperson George Garcia during a House hearing.

The lawyer said it seems that there are already plans for a special election amid the possible expulsion of Teves.

“I was alarmed by the fact that the Chairman Garcia of Comelec was already there,” Topacio said.

“It would appear that they were getting, they were planning for the long term and asking him how special elections would be conducted so that in itself is quite alarming,” he added.

Teves, who was tagged as the alleged mastermind in the March 4 assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, said the threat to his life is getting worse.

“Of course, 'yung kaka-validate lang kung kumusta na 'yung threat sa buhay ko, it's getting worse (Of course, I just validated that the threat to my life is getting worse),” he said.

“I get informed. Threat to my life is I will be killed. Some people want me killed with specific instructions,” he added.

According to Teves, he saw an internal affairs order directing for his businessman friend to be “eliminated.”

“Ang order sa kanya ay to be eliminated, ano pa kaya order sa akin (The order for him is to be eliminated, then what about me)?” he said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News