Manila court acquits Teves for 2019 murder
The Manila Regional Trial Court has acquitted former Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. of the murder of Miguel Lopez Dungog, a former provincial board member of Negros Oriental’s third district.
In an order dated Jan. 5, but made public on Friday, the Manila court granted the demurrer to evidence submitted by Teves.
A demurrer to evidence is, in effect, a motion to dismiss filed by the accused after the prosecution finished its presentation of evidence. The demurrer is anchored on the ground that the evidence presented by the prosecution is insufficient.
Granting a demurrer to evidence is already considered an acquittal.
“The prosecution’s evidence is legally insufficient to sustain a conviction even if left unrebutted, the court is duty-bound to grant the demurrer to evidence,” Presiding Judge Eduardo Ramon Reyes said in the ruling.
Aside from Teves, the court also granted the demurrers to evidence filed by coaccused Richard Cuadra and Rolando Pinili.
“For failure of the prosecution to establish a prima facie case, said accused are hereby acquitted of the crime charged,” the court said and ordered the Manila Jail to release the accused unless they are being held for another offense
Despite the acquittal, Teves remains in detention as he is an accused in the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others in March 2023.
“Even assuming that Teves was acquitted in the Dungog case, he will not be released because he remains lawfully detained by virtue of his other pending criminal cases,” said lawyer Polo Martinez, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson.
NBI custody
Martinez assured that once the DOJ received a copy of the court order, “it will immediately act upon the ruling and avail of all appropriate legal remedies available under the law.
Teves was brought back to the Philippines last May 29 after his arrest in Timor-Leste, where he had been seeking asylum for nearly two years.
He is currently under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation at its facility in Building 14 inside the Maximum Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prison.
“The acquittal of former congressman Arnolfo Teves of the crime of murder by the Regional Trial Court, Branch 15 of Manila is a vivid demonstration that the cases filed against Mr. Teves are nothing but harassment suits meant to persecute a political opponent,” said his lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio.
Teves was implicated in the killings of three people between March and June 2019, including that of Dungog, that was filed by the police in March 2023.
Lawyer Levito Baligod who represented the families of the victims said in 2023 that Dungog was killed on March 25, 2019, near Silliman Medical Center, Dumaguete City, while Lester Pialgao Bato was killed on May 26, 2019, in Sitio Labugon, Barangay Nagbo-alao in Basay town.
The third victim, Pacito Libron, was killed on June 23, 2019, in Barangay Malabugas, Bayawan City, the lawyer said.
Citing witness testimonies, Baligod said political rivalry was the reason Teves allegedly ordered the killings.
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