The Department of Justice (DOJ) is ready to challenge a global lookout bulletin on Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. subsequent week, in line with Mav Gonzales’ “24 Oras Weekend” report on Saturday.
“We have taken precautions and we will take further precautions kasi padagdag nang padagdag iyong mga kaso natin. So, all those that are in relation to the Degamo slay, we have taken concrete steps na maglabas po ng international lookout bulletin, pinag-usapan po natin ang paglagay ng mga tao sa INTERPOL Blue Notice,” DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano said at a media briefing in Quezon City.
(We have taken precautions, and we will take further precautions because the complaints are increasing. So, all those that are in relation to the Degamo slay, we have taken concrete steps to issue an international lookout bulletin. We are looking at asking INTERPOL to issue a Blue Notice.)
“We hope to do this perhaps subsequent week, simply in order that we’re conscious doon sa actions ng ating mga respondents who could very effectively be concerned within the Degamo slay and who could also be important doon sa ating investigation,” he added.
(We hope to do that maybe next week, just so that we are aware of the movements of the respondents, who may very well be involved in the Degamo slay and who may be vital to our investigation.)
The color-coded notices, according to the website of the International Criminal Police Organization, are “worldwide requests for cooperation or alerts permitting police in member nations to share vital crime-related data.”
The Blue Notice is meant “to gather extra details about an individual’s identification, location, or actions in relation to a legal investigation,” INTERPOL said.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla had said Teves already left the United States and was “somewhere in Asia.”
The DOJ said they had expected Teves to return to the country after Speaker Martin Romualdez urged him to reconsider his decision to stay away in the meantime amid the complaints filed against him.
If necessary, the Department of Foreign Affairs can request to deport Teves from the country he is currently staying in.
“It’s extra of the DFA’s jurisdiction to ask for or to request deportation dahil sila po iyong could jurisdiction doon sa mga overseas relations po natin,” Clavano said.
(It’s more of the DFA’s jurisdiction to ask for or to request deportation because they have jurisdiction over our foreign relations.)
“Although, after all, we’d wish to exhaust lahat ng treatments natin [so as] to not undergo that sort of route na mag-request po tayo ng deportation. So, as of proper now, siguro nananawagan lang po si Speaker (Martin) Romualdez, Secretary Remulla na umuwi na lang muna si (Teves), on his personal volition,” he added.
(Although, of course, we’d want to exhaust all remedies so as not to go through that type of route: requesting deportation. So, as of right now, Speaker Romualdez and Secretary Remulla are urging Congressman Teves to return to the country on his own volition.)
GMA Integrated News has sought Teves’ reaction to the development, but neither he nor his representatives had responded as of posting time.
Meanwhile, the DOJ dismissed one complaint of illegal possession of firearms and unlawful possession of explosives filed against Teves due to lack of evidence.
Two arrested suspects, Joric Labrador and Benjie Rodriguez, both former soldiers, earlier said a certain “Cong Teves” ordered the hit on Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, who was killed at his residence in Pamplona town on March 4.
Teves denied that he and his brother Henry were involved in the killing of Degamo amid allegations that the incident was politically motivated. The Teveses are political rivals of the Degamo family.
Teves earlier asked the House leadership to grant him a two-month leave of absence, citing a “very grave menace” to his life and his household. — Richa Allyssa Noriega/DVM/VBL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
