Former Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves, Jr. was arrested in Timor-Leste where he sought asylum, according to a GMA News Online report.

The report cited that based on the Facebook post of Teves' son Axl early Wednesday, May 28, 2025, the former lawmaker was nabbed by immigration officers in Timor-Leste, as reported on "Unang Balita."

Allegedly, no warrant or any other document was shown prior to the arrest.

Based on a report by local media hatutan.com, Teves was nabbed and placed under the custody of Timor-Leste immigration police.

Teves was allegedly the mastermind in the killing of former Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others on March 4, 2023 in the Degamo residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental.

The former lawmaker has denied the accusation.

GMA Integrated News also contacted the Bureau of Immigration for comment.

Teves' lawyer Atty. Ferdinand Topacio told GMA Integrated News that Teves was taken by immigration police from his home in Dili.

"At around 8 p.m. yesterday (Dili time), our client, Rep. Armolfo Teves, was taken from his residence in Dili together with his Timor-Leste counsel, Dr. Joao Serra, by immigration police. The lawyer was manhandled by the said police," Topacio said.

He said Teves and Serra have since been detained in the compound of the Ministry of the Interior.

"No warrant or any written authority was shown to Mr. Teves and Dr. Serra as to the cause of detention," Topacio said.

"We are held against our will. They are not letting me go," Teves said in a video posted by Axl on Facebook.

In a statement, the Department of Justice said the government “notes” recent developments regarding Teves.

The DOJ reiterated that it has been prepared to bring Teves home to face the charges against him, but the Timor-Leste Court of Appeal denied the government’s extradition request in March, the report further said. 

“While we welcome the recent pronouncements from Timor-Leste indicating a renewed position that Mr. Teves should not remain in their territory, we await their action—whether he would simply be deported for being an undocumented foreigner or extradited forthwith pursuant to our pending application,” the DOJ said.

“We emphasize that the Philippine government has not been furnished with any legal or official document on the matter,” it added.

Teves and others have also been charged with the alleged killings of three individuals in Negros Oriental in 2019.

Teves and 12 others have also been designated as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council, citing several alleged killings and harassment in Negros Oriental.

He was expelled by the House of Representatives in August 2024 for disorderly conduct and continued absence. 

OUTGOING MAYOR JANICE DEGAMO'S STATEMENT

Outgoing Pamplona Mayor, and incoming Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Janice Degamo, the widow of slain governor Roel Degamo, posted on her official social media account her reaction to the arrest.

"Last night, Arnie Teves was reportedly arrested by immigration authorities in Timor-Leste. At this stage it is believed that the arrest was due to his status as an illegal alien, having no valid Philippine passport and being the subject of an international alert from Interpol, as well as a standing warrant from the Department of Justice in connection with the brutal murder of my husband, Governor Roel Degamo and nine others during the Pamplona Massacre," the post on May 28, 2025 read. 

"This arrest is a significant step toward justice, not only for our family, but for the people of Negros Oriental and the entire nation who were shaken by the horrific footage of my husband and 9 others being mercilessly gunned down on March 4th, 2023. For over two years, our call has been clear and unwavering, that those responsible for this heinous crime must be held accountable, no matter how far they run or how long they hide," Degamo added.

"Let this serve as a reminder that no one is above the law. The arrest of Arnie Teves reaffirms the strength of international cooperation and our collective pursuit of justice. We now look forward to the proper legal proceedings that will bring lasting peace to our province and long overdue justice for my beloved Roel and the hundreds of others who suffered at the hands of the Teves Terrorist Group," she further said.