‘Terrorist solon’ back in PH, to face trial

Arrested, deported for being threat to Timor Leste security

On May 30, 2025

A grab from the local media reports in Timor Leste showing the Philippine Air Force plane departing from the country with fugitive Negros Oriental former representative Arnolfo 'Arnie' Teves.

FORMER Negros Oriental third district representative-turned fugitive, Arnolfo ‘Arnie’ Teves boarded a Philippine Air Force plane in Dili, Timor Leste on Thursday, May 29, for his trip back to the Philippines to face trial for the murder of Negros Oriental Governor Romel Degamo and his supporters in March 2023 and other crimes in the province being blamed on him.

Teves, who has been hiding out in Timor Leste since escaping from the Philippines right after being implicated in the killing of Degamo, was arrested by Timor Leste immigration authorities in the early evening of May 27.

“His (Teves) prolonged stay in Timor-Leste for over two years poses a disturbance to bilateral relations between the two states and sets a concerning precedent with potential implications for internal security,” reads the official statement of the government of Timor Leste.

“The perception that Timor-Leste could be a refuge for individuals wanted for serious crimes may undermine the country’s image in the international community and affect trust in its institutions,” the statement added.

Timor Leste is courting Philippine support for its full membership with the ASEAN.

Right after the arrest, the Department of Justice (DOJ) under Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, said it has organized a ‘joint team’ composed of representatives from the DOJ, the Bureau of Immigration (BI), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to coordinate closely with Timorese authorities and assist in the safe, secure, and lawful repatriation of Mr. Teves back to the Philippines.

Since Teves’ escape to Timor Leste, the DOJ has gone to great lengths to bring him back including the cancellation of his passport, placing him in the ‘Red Notice’ of the Interpol and designating him as a ‘terrorist’ under the country’ anti-terrorism law.

“As we await the arrival of Mr. Teves, the Philippine Government assures the public and the international community that due process will be strictly observed, and that justice will be pursued without fear or favor.

“Justice will prevail,” the DOJ statement added.