Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo —SENATE PRIB
DUMAGUETE CITY—The widow of slain Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo has expressed dismay over the recent ruling of a Timorese court rejecting the Philippine government’s bid to extradite expelled Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves, the alleged mastermind of the crime.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Friday, Mayor Janice Degamo of Pamplona town, Negros Oriental, described the decision as “peculiar and difficult to understand.”
She also raised the possibility that a Timorese court could succumb to power and connections.
READ: Blocking Teves’ extradition will ‘greatly impact’ his case – Palace
“Dili nato malikayan nga makahunahuna nga ang korte sa Timor-Leste makamang sad diay. (We cannot avoid but think that the court in Timor-Leste can also be influenced by some people),” said Janice, who did not mention names.
The Inquirer’s attempt to reach the mayor through her mobile phone was in vain.
She nevertheless stated in the social media post that she was confident the Philippine government would do everything in its power to bring Teves back to the country.
READ: DOJ confirms Teves now under house arrest in Timor Leste
“I believe in our government’s capacity to bring Arnie Teves back so he would face the charges filed against him and his cohorts,” Janice said.
“Next week, I will meet with Justice Secretary Boying (Jesus Crispin) Remulla so he can enlighten me on the recent developments and to know the plans our government has in mind,” she added.
‘No basis for the decision’
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Teves is facing serious charges, including multiple counts of murder, and must be brought back to the Philippines to face the full force of the law. It said it would “exhaust all remedies” in appealing the decision.
READ: 28 more cases filed vs Teves – DOJ
The appeal would include an assurance of Teves’ safety and security should he be extradited in response to the Timor-Leste Court of Appeals’ ruling that cited a constitutional provision prohibiting extradition if there was a risk to the extraditee.
Remulla said there are “millions of reasons” why the Timorese court reversed its decisions in June and December 2024 favoring extradition.
“It’s very hard to predict an immature justice system at work. Timor-Leste’s justice system is still very immature,” Remulla said in a mix of English and Filipino. Timor-Leste gained independence only in May 2002.
He added that there was no basis for the decision “because just the notion that we have a death penalty … in this country is really crazy.”
In its March 20 decision, the Timor-Leste appellate court cited Section 35 (3) of the country’s Constitution, which states: “Extradition in respect of [offenses] punishable, under the law of the requesting State, by death penalty or life imprisonment or whenever there are grounds to assume that the person to be extradited may be subjected to torture and inhuman, degrading and cruel treatment, shall not be permitted.”
The Philippines abolished the death penalty in 2006.
Impact on pending cases
At a separate press briefing on Friday, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Malacañang press officer Claire Castro said Manila’s appeal would put to rest any concerns that Teves might be subjected to abuse or mistreatment upon his return to the country.
“These acts are considered illegal even under our own Constitution,” Castro said.
“The DOJ presented evidence proving that these do not happen under this administration that’s why it’s surprising that they reversed the court’s earlier decision,” she added.
Castro conceded that the appellate court’s decision would impact pending cases against Teves.
“This will have a big impact, considering that there are victims who complained against former Congressman Teves. So the administration will fight for justice for these victims,” she said.
Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, meanwhile, has welcomed the DOJ’s plans to file a motion for reconsideration.
Degamo murder
Teves is facing 10 counts of murder, 14 counts of frustrated murder and four counts of attempted murder under the Revised Penal Code.
He is wanted for the killing of Degamo, who was murdered by armed assailants while attending to the needs of his constituents inside his residential compound in Pamplona on March 4, 2023. Nine other persons were also killed during the attack.
Eleven suspects were arrested and earlier linked Teves to the massacre.
Many suspects, however, recanted their confessions after they were provided with lawyers
This, however, did not stop the prosecutors from filing charges against Teves in court.
Teves, who repeatedly denied the accusations, was eventually expelled from the House of Representatives and went into hiding after he became the subject of an arrest warrant issued by a regional trial court in Manila.
He was eventually arrested while playing golf in Timor-Leste last year.