THERE must have been some truth regarding the massive corruption hounding judicial system in Timor Leste following the decision of a tribunal to lift the order restricting the movement of fugitive former Congressman Arnolfo Teves within the apartment where he is supposedly under house arrest.
In a statement, the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed the release of Teves from house arrest by the Timor Leste tribunal conducting extradition proceedings relative to the request made by the Philippine government.
According to the DOJ, the Timorese Central Authority released Teves at around 7 p.m. (6 p.m. in Manila) on Friday.
Under existing laws in Timor Leste, fugitives could only be detained for a maximum of 90 days.
Relative to the release, the Timorese security forces assured the DOJ that Teves will be monitored – and that measures are in place to prevent the ousted Filipino legislator from leaving the country where he sought political asylum.
Part of the conditions in releasing the fugitive congressman is that he should present himself before the court every two days while waiting for the results of the extradition trial. The decision is expected to come out by next week.
Prior to the DOJ statement, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said Teves had been given certain conditions for his release, including regular reporting to a court officer and a commitment not to leave Timor-Leste while the extradition case is pending.
“This validates our earlier report that Mr. Teves was not re-arrested but was simply taken into judicial custody purely for purposes of attending the extradition hearings and that the release of Mr. Teves from Becora Prison was not procedural as the [Department of Justice] would have us believe, but a final ruling,” Topacio said.
Teves, who has been declared as terrorist since August 2023, is facing 10 counts of murder, 12 counts of frustrated murder and four counts of attempted murder before the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51 in relation to the March 4, 2023, shootings in the town of Pamplona in Negros Oriental.
He is also facing multiple murder charges in Negros Oriental in connection with a series of killings that took place in various parts of the province in 2019. (ANGEL F. JOSE)
