Suspended Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo 'Arnie' Teves is presently in Timor-Leste, or also known as East Timor, and has sought a protection visa with the intent of special asylum, the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on Tuesday, May 9.
The DOJ released the letter dated May 8 of its Secretary Jesus Crispin 'Boying' Remulla addressed to Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Enrique Manalo regarding Teves' recent request.
Based on the letter, Teves Jr. is in Dili, the capital City of Timor-Este, "where he applied for visa protection with the intent of asylum."
"We wish to inform you that the Department of has taken concrete steps to designate Congressman Teves Jr. as a terrorist under the Anti-Terrorism Council to create a Technical Working Group (TWG) for this purpose. Thus, last 4 May 2023, the Technical Working Group Convened for its first meeting," Remulla stated.
The DOJ Secretary asked Manalo to communicate with the Ambassador to Timor-Leste and relay the latest updates about Teves' moves.
Political asylum status is a granted to individuals who asks permission to stay in another nation until they can safely return to their own country.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the media, Remulla said they do not see any political reason behind the request.
"It's really for not wanting to face the consequences of certain actions by which he's being held to account for," he added.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: Bahagi ng panayam kay SOJ Remulla sa media | RH 29 <a href="https://twitter.com/boy_gonzales?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@boy_gonzales</a> <a href="https://t.co/LYfwyVmxja">pic.twitter.com/LYfwyVmxja</a>
&mdash; DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/dzrhnews/status/1655813450260692993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
Teves is being tagged as the <a href="https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/remulla-calls-teves-mastermind" target="_blank" rel="noopener">main mastermind </a>in the brutal assassination of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo last March 4.
The DOJ Secretary earlier said that they <a href="https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/doj-seeks-to-formally-tag-teves-as-terrorist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">formally filed a case before the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) </a>to label Teves as a terrorist.
Remulla earlier explained that branding Teves as a "terrorist is <a href="https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/teves-'terrorist'-tag" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not red-tagging</a>."
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Suspended Cong. Teves sought special asylum in East Timor —DOJ