• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
“Justice is coming. The long wait is almost over.”
This was the reaction of Negros Oriental third district representative-elect Janice Degamo, widow of then Governor Roel Degamo, on the deportation from Timor Leste of her expelled predecessor Arnolfo Teves Jr.
Teves is being accused of masterminding the killing of Degamo and nine civilians on March 4, 2023.
“After more than two years in hiding, he is finally being brought back to the Philippines to face justice,” Degamo said in a social media post.
The Timor Leste government on Wednesday said it has decided to deport Teves as it considers his presence a “threat to national security and interests.”
Teves was fetched by a Philippine Air Force plane at Dili Airport in Timor Leste yesterday.
The plane carrying the former lawmaker left Timor-Leste past 2:40 p.m.
“The Government of Timor-Leste has recognized what we have long known to be true, that the continued presence of Arnie Teves in their country compromises regional peace, security and the rule of law,” Degamo said.
Thanking the Timorese authorities, she said “this is not just a legal issue, it is a moral one.”
Teves has lived in Timor-Leste for over two years and has been engaged in a legal battle with the Philippine government to prevent his return.
Justice Secetary Jesus Crispin Remulla told reporters that Teves is now under the custody of the Philippine government.
“And we’ll bring him home so he can face the charges. We will bring him home so he can face all the allegations against him,” Remulla said.
“We waited two years for this to happen, and we thank the Lord that this is it, this is the reckoning we’ve been waiting for, and he really must face the charges against him,” he added. | GB
