No more Timor-Leste ‘paradise’ for Teves
Timor-Leste ordered the return of expelled lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr. to the Philippines in an “administrative decision” that tagged him as an undocumented alien facing multiple criminal complaints and thus posing “threats” to the island state’s national security and interests.
“The Government of Timor-Leste believes that the presence of Filipino citizen Arnolfo Teves Jr. in its territory, who is suspected of having committed several serious crimes and has been formally charged by the judicial authorities of the Republic of the Philippines—a member country of Asean, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations—represents a serious and unacceptable situation,” the Timorese government said in a statement on Wednesday.
‘Disruptive factor’
Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta earlier said the country should not become a “paradise” for fugitives.
“His extended stay in Timor-Leste for over two years poses a disruptive factor in bilateral relations between the two States and establishes a serious precedent with potential implications for internal security,” the Timor-Leste government said.
“The perception that Timor-Leste might be viewed as a refuge for individuals fleeing international justice undermines the integrity of our borders and our shared efforts to combat transnational crime,” it added.
The government also cited its imminent full accession to Asean, scheduled for October this year, which “further reinforces the responsibility of the Timorese State to actively collaborate with its regional partners in upholding justice, legality, and stability in the region.”
“The decision, which takes effect immediately, is based on national legislation regarding migration and asylum and is grounded in the risks that this citizen’s continued presence poses to public order and national security,” it said.
Noting Teves’ multiple criminal cases in the Philippines, the Timorese government said it also decided to prohibit him from entering the national territory for a period of 10 years.
INQUIRER PHOTO/ GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
Court ruling immaterial
More than two months ago, a Timorese court denied the Philippine government’s request to extradite Teves, who is the subject of an Interpol red notice and accused of masterminding the assassination of his political rival, former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, in March 2023.
Local reports in Dili, however, quoted Ramos-Horta as saying that the earlier court ruling rejecting Teves’ extradition was now immaterial, and that Teves is no longer eligible for political asylum.
“If he is not eligible for asylum, if there is an Interpol warrant, and if the Philippine authorities are requesting that we enforce the Interpol mandate, it would be a serious irresponsibility on the part of this country not to comply with the request from Interpol and the Philippine authorities,” Ramos-Horta said in Portuguese during a press conference on May 27, as quoted by local reports.
He also said he does not want Teves to remain in the country for reasons of national interest.
“Irregardless of all legal and constitutional considerations, there is one issue that all countries in the world observe: the national interest,” Ramos-Horta said.
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“The national interest is what imposes, what determines and, in this case, we are not interested in someone of that nature, to prevent East Timor from becoming a paradise for all those who commit crimes in the region,” he added.
Outgoing Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, widow of the slain governor, has welcomed news of the arrest.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, she said the arrest marks a “significant step” in a high-profile case that has spanned borders and renewed demands for accountability in the 2023 murder of her husband and nine others.
“This arrest is a significant step toward justice, not only for our family, but for the people of Negros Oriental and the entire nation … Let this serve as a reminder that no one is above the law,” said Janice, who was elected representative of the province’s third district in the midterm elections.
Shift in stance
“We now look forward to the proper legal proceedings that will bring lasting peace to our province and long overdue justice for my beloved Roel and the hundreds of others who suffered at the hands of the Teves Terrorist Group,” she added.
Roel Degamo was killed by assailants while attending to the needs of his constituents inside his residential compound in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental, on March 4, 2023. Nine other persons were also killed during the attack which was captured on closed-circuit television.
Teves, who was tagged by witnesses as the mastermind in the massacre, has sought asylum in Timor-Leste after fleeing the Philippines.
Philippine authorities had requested for his extradition but the Court of Appeal in Timor-Leste rejected the request last March, citing Article 35 (3) of the Timorese Constitution, which bars extradition if an individual “faces a credible risk of torture or inhumane treatment.”
With Teves’ rearrest, however, Timor-Leste authorities signaled a shift in stance.
Ferdinand Topacio, Teves’ lawyer, however, claimed that Timor-Leste’s Court of Appeal has granted his client’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus, directing authorities to produce him in court within 48 hours. But the Department of Justice (DOJ) could not immediately verify this.
Topacio told reporters earlier Wednesday that immigration police took his client from his residence in Dili around 8 p.m. (local time), along with his Timorese counsel, Joao Serra.
According to Topacio, no arrest warrant was presented, nor was any reason given by immigration officers for the rearrest.
Videos posted by his son Axel showed the former congressman being forcefully taken from his home by men believed to be Timor-Leste police and immigration officers.
“They just picked him up without documents, without warrants or any form of legal documents. They just came in forcefully, took him out forcefully,” Axel said in a video uploaded on Wednesday.
He decried the arrest as unlawful and insisted his father had “already won the extradition case before the Timor-Leste court.”
Awaiting action
The DOJ, meanwhile, said it was still awaiting official communication from the Timor-Leste government regarding the basis of Teves’ detention and the procedure for his return to the Philippines.
“While we welcome the recent pronouncements from Timor-Leste indicating a renewed position that Mr. Teves should not remain in their territory, we await their action—whether he would simply be deported for being an undocumented foreigner or extradited forthwith pursuant to our pending application,” the DOJ said.
It reiterated that the Philippines has long been ready to bring Teves home to face charges, noting that the initial grant of its extradition request was later “unexpectedly reversed,” stalling the process. —WITH REPORTS FROM CARLA GOMEZ AND RUCHELLE DENICE DEMAISIP
