The Department of Justice (DOJ) has mobilized a joint inter-agency team to coordinate directly with Timor-Leste authorities and facilitate the lawful repatriation of expelled Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. to the Philippines.
Included in the joint inter-agency team are representatives from the DOJ, the Bureau of Immigration (BI), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Previously, the Government of Timor-Leste ordered the administrative deportation of Teves, citing his presence in the country as a threat to national security and public order.
Teves is facing multiple criminal charges in the Philippines, including murder, frustrated murder, and attempted murder, in connection with the assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.
Moreover, the DOJ has also sought his designation as a “terrorist” under Anti-Terrorism Council Resolution No. 43, Series of 2023.
The Timorese government underscored both the severity of the allegations against Teves and the absence of legal justification for his presence in their territory.
Effective immediately, the administrative deportation bars Teves from re-entering Timor-Leste for 10 years and is grounded in both local legal frameworks and regional commitments to international and ASEAN cooperation.
"The DOJ lauds this act of regional responsibility and reiterates its appreciation to the Government of Timor-Leste for its commitment to justice, international rule of law, and regional stability," the DOJ said in a statement on Thursday.
"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," it added.
Alongside other concerned government agencies, the Philippine National Police (PNP) declared its readiness to support the DOJ in facilitating the potential transfer and detention of Teves in the Philippines.
