Senator Robin Padilla on Friday suggested Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. to return to the Philippines to defend himself on the instances filed in opposition to him, in addition to the allegations linking him to the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.
“Ang ma-advice ko sa kanya, mas maganda po ‘yan, Cong, na harapin mo na kung ikaw po, pagkatapos ninyo pong pagnilay nilayan—alam ko po ngayon nag-iisip pa kayo, nagdedesisyon pa po kayo—ang panalangin po namin, ang pakiusap po namin, ang samo po namin, dumating ang panahon na makauwi rin po kayo at ipagtanggol ang sarili ninyo,” Padilla said in an online interview.
(My advice to him, it would be better, Cong, to face the allegations —I know you are reflecting now, deciding—our prayer, our appeal is for the time to come for you to return to the country and defend yourself.)
He pointed out that Teves is still innocent as he is not yet convicted by the courts on the cases filed against him.
“You are innocent until proven guilty. So ngayon, inosente pa naman siya. Hindi pa naman dumaan siya sa hearing o paglilitis. Kaya sa ngayon ibigay natin sa kanya na siya ay inosente pa. At dapat Cong, kaibigan din naman ito, kasama din ito na mambabatas, harapin mo itong pagsubok na ito,” he said.
(He is still innocent, there is no hearing or trial yet so we should consider him as innocent. Cong, I consider him my friend, a fellow lawmaker, face the complaint.)
The action star-turned-politician, who was convicted for illegal possession of firearms in 1994 but secured absolute pardon in 2016, recalled that he also tried to escape the law after the issuance of an arrest warrant against him.
“Nangyari din sa akin ‘yan. Sa experience ko, nung lumabas din ‘yung aking warrant of arrest, nagtago din ako ng isa’t kalahating buwan, umakyat pa nga ako ng bundok eh bago ko na-realize kailangan kong harapin kung ano man ang kaso,” Padilla mentioned.
(That additionally occurred to me. In my expertise, I hid for one and a half months when the warrant of arrest in opposition to me was issued. I even went to the mountains earlier than I spotted that I ought to face no matter case was filed in opposition to me.)
Teves was cleared to depart the Philippines for a private journey to the United States from February 28 to March 9 however he requested Speaker Martin Romualdez to grant him a two-month depart of absence “on account of very grave menace” to his and his household’s lives.
Teves has been named respondent in separate complaints in reference to incidents of killings in Negros Oriental in 2019 and the alleged unlawful firearms seized from his houses throughout police raids final week.
The Negros Oriental solon was additionally linked by suspects in Degamo’s killing.
Teves earlier denied his and his household’s alleged involvement within the demise of Degamo.
Earlier within the day, Ferdinand Topacio, Teves’ authorized counsel, mentioned there isn’t a direct proof linking Teves to Degamo’s demise.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
