The Department of Justice (DOJ) declared Tuesday that suspended Negros Oriental (3rd District) Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. could not be classified as a fugitive even if the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) identified him as a terrorist.
In a Palace briefing, DOJ spokesperson Assistant Secretary Mico Clavino said Teves may only be deemed a fugitive fleeing justice after a warrant for his arrest is issued.
According to Clavano, Teves is not a fugitive because the "terror tag" is distinct from criminal activity.
He noted that he or she becomes a fugitive only when he or she is granted an arrest warrant.
Clavano further stated that the classification of Teves and members of his accused armed organization as terrorists takes precedence over the filing of charges because the decision is "purely [an] executive act.
DOJ Undersecretary Nicolas Felix Ty said that the ATC is not required to give Teves and his organization a chance to be heard before labeling them as terrorists.
Moreover, Jonathan Malaya, assistant director general of the National Security Council, explained that the ATC's recent step is intended to confront the threat posed by the Teves group to the security and well-being of the Filipino people, particularly those living in Negros Oriental province.
The deaths in the Negros Oriental, according to Malaya, show an "unmistakable pattern of being meticulously planned and executed."
The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) legal officer, Luis Warren, stated that Teves' assets have been frozen following his classification as a terrorist.
The AMLC's issuing of a freezing order, according to Warren, is in compliance with Republic Act 11479, often known as the Anti-Terrorism Act. Clavano stated that the government is aware of Teves' whereabouts, citing information from various sources.
Clavano also pushed Teves to confront the allegations leveled against him.
Apart from Teves, who has been recognized as the mastermind, his brother and former governor Henry Pryde Teves, Nigel Electona, Hanna Mae Sumero Oray, and Marvin Miranda have also been named as terrorists.
ATC said that Sumero handled operational funding while Miranda organized and recruited the organization.
