CHERYL G. CRUZ
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said Thursday, March 30, that he “shall act as the legislative caretaker of the 3rd District of Negros Oriental” until May 22 this year, following the 60-day suspension of Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr.
In House of Representatives Memorandum Order 19-017 dated March 23 but made public March 30, Romualdez said, “In the interest of the people of the 3rd District of Negros Oriental, the undersigned shall act as the legislative caretaker…for the period 23 March 2023 to 22 May 2023. This order takes effect immediately”.
“Asahan po ninyo na hindi mapuputol ang serbisyo ng gobyerno at patuloy nating uunahin ang interes ng ating mga kababayan sa ikatlong distrito ng Negros Oriental,” he stressed in a tweet yesterday afternoon.
Teves was suspended March 22 for “disorderly behavior”, after he failed to return to the Philippines despite the expiration of his travel clearance abroad.
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.
On March 14, Romualdez said Teves had 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”.
Teves is being linked to the broad daylight assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo March 4 in Pamplona, Negros Oriental, where eight other individuals also died, and more than a dozen injured./CGC
