House suspends Teves for 60 days

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  • CHERYL G. CRUZ

The House of Representatives Wednesday, March 22, suspended Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. for 60 days, for disorderly behavior, after he failed to return to the Philippines despite the expiration of his travel clearance.

Voting 292-0, the House adopted the findings and recommendations contained in Committee Report 472 of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which finds Teves “liable for violation of the Code of Conduct…in relation to his personal foreign trip with expired travel clearance and continued defiance to the orders of the House and the Committee.

“(This) constitutes disorderly behavior that affects the dignity, integrity, and reputation of the House and warrants the imposition of the penalty of 60 days suspension from the service,” Committee chairperson, Rep. Felimon Espares, said in his report submitted and adopted by the House during the last day of its session March 22, or the eve of its Holy Week break until May 8.

Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez, on March 14, said Teves called him up and expressed “fear for the safety of his person and his family”, reason why he “refuses to return home at this time”.

“I assured him that the Speaker, as the political and administrative leader of the House of Representatives, will exert all efforts to ensure the personal safety of all members,” Romualdez said in a statement.

The solon, who is being linked to the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, failed to personally appear before his colleagues up until the House’s decision Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday reiterated his call for Teves to come home, reassuring him that the administration is willing to provide all kinds of security for him.

“But anyway, if to reassure him, we’ll provide all kinds of security kung anong gusto mo. Mayaman ka naman. May private jet ka naman eh. Mag-landing ka kung saan mo gusto, papaligiran – sa Air Force base. Mag-landing siya sa Basa, papaligiran natin ng sundalo, walang makalapit na isang kilometro. So that – that will guarantee his security,” Marcos said in a media interview, as per the Presidential Communications Office, after he attended the 126th Founding Anniversary of the Philippine Army in Taguig City.

The President also dismissed reports on the supposed threat on the life of the solon, based on the intelligence information that the Office of the President has been getting, the PCO said.

“So we have made all of these offers pero syempre hindi pa siya nagde-decide. But the advice, the only advice I can give to Cong. Arnie is that habang tumatagal ito, mas nagiging mahirap ang sitwasyon mo. So mas maaga kang makauwi, mas marami pang option ang mangyayari,” the President explained. “Pero pagka masyado ng late, wala na, mapipilitan na ang gobyerno. We will have to move without any discussions with him.”/CGC