Negros Oriental capitol (Facebook)
MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) said prosecutors will decide based on evidence and not speculation the cases against Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla also assured that the police operation on Teves’ house in Purok 4, Barangay Poblacion, Basay town on Friday morning was legal.
"There were (two) search warrants issued by the courts so I suppose that all of these were legally carried (out)," Remulla told reporters.
The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and Special Action Force, together with the 11th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, reported their discovery of several firearms, ammunition, and a hand grenade.
They had licenses, which need verification.
Remulla said the criminal complaint against Teves in connection with killings in 2019 would undergo due process.
"I think that a lot of other people are coming out with information about past cases but we have to process them properly. We have to look at the evidence. We have to look at the statements. We will look at them one by one,” he said.
He noted that it is mere speculation for now that the 2019 killings are related to online cockfighting.
Remulla recalled Degamo visiting him while his electoral protest was still pending.
“He was already complaining about the violence in Negros but it was a general statement. There were no specifics,” he said.
Teves has denied that he and his brother, Henry Pryde, whom Degamo unseated, had something to do with the governor’s slay.
Teves has yet to return from his personal trip to the United States, dated Feb. 28 to March 9, based on Travel Clearance IPRS-0223-PT1105 issued by the House of Representatives Office of the Secretary General on Feb. 27.
Protection for all
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR), meanwhile, said the government must ensure the protection of Filipinos against all incidents of killing.
“These reoccurring acts of arbitrary deprivation of life need to be addressed and vehemently condemned to assure all Filipinos that the government and its law enforcement agencies are committed to protecting its citizens’ human rights,” the CHR said in a statement.
The CHR has launched a motu proprio investigation on the incident, parallel to the efforts of the police.
The Commission said it acknowledges the swift response of law enforcement authorities in apprehending the perpetrators and in continuing to locate the mastermind and other accomplices of the violence.
The CHR also calls for equal commitment in addressing cases of attacks on government officials and employees and private citizens. (PNA)
