Speaker Martin Romualdez during one of his speaking engagements FILE PHOTO / Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’ office
MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has called on Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. to return to the country as soon as possible and face the criminal complaints filed against him.
Teves, who is currently in the United States, was named as the alleged brains behind the brazen killing of his political nemesis, Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, and eight other individuals inside the local official’s residence in Pamplona town on Saturday, March 4.
The slain governor’s bereaved family points to politics as the attack’s principal motive.
READ: Teves tagged as alleged mastermind in Degamo slay
“Makabubuti rin na umuwi si Cong. Arnie para harapin ang pagkakadawit ng pangalan ng kanilang pamilya sa pagkamatay ni Gov. Roel Degamo,” Romualdez said in a statement on Friday.
(It would be best for Cong. Arnie to face the accusations on his family’s role in the killing of Gov. Roel Degamo.)
He then took note that Teves’s authority to travel only covers Tuesday, February 28 to Thursday, February 9, which means he is no longer allowed by the lower chamber to be outside the country beyond the said period.
“We all want to hear his side of the story,” Romualdez said. “Maraming buhay ang nawala maliban kay Gov. Degamo. Umamin na ang mga nahuling salarin sa partisipasyon nila sa krimen. Hindi titigil ang pamahalaan para kilalanin at papanagutin ang mga nasa likod ng brutal na krimeng ito.”
(Many lives were taken, not just that of Gov. Degamo. The arrested suspects have admitted to their participation in the crime. The government will not stop until we find and hold responsible people behind this brutal crime.)
Teves and five others are also facing multiple charges over a series of killings that took place in various parts of Negros Oriental in 2019.
READ: PNP tags Degamo foe Teves in 2019 killings in Negros Oriental
He denied both the accusations for the 2019 killings and the Degamo slay.
The congressman’s legal counsel Ferdinand Topacio has also spoken up to urge those concerned “to observe sobriety in their pronouncements regarding the allegations against Teves.”