Negros Oriental Rep. Arnies Teves, who has been the subject of the House committee on ethics and privileges for months now owing to “disorderly behavior” that has led to a double suspension, wants the House to terminate its proceedings against him.
Ferdinand Topacio, the lead legal counsel of Teves, delivered before the panel chaired by Rep. Felimon Espares a letter dated 10 August from the lawmaker asking the committee to defer its further proceedings, claiming the accusations leveled against him are “clearly baseless” and “meant to “politically harass and persecute” him.
Teves argued that the panel’s continued proceedings breached its own rules, Section 2 of which states that “if the subject matter of the complaint against a Member of the House is pending before a judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative body, the Committee shall defer action on said complaint until final judgment has been rendered by such body.”
Citing the rules, Topacio said Teves’ terrorist tag is currently pending before the Anti-Terrorism Council and may be raised to the court.
Teves’ letter countered the panel’s letter on 1 August, relative to the lawmaker’s alleged acts or omissions that supposedly constitute a violation of the Code of Conduct of the House of Representatives and for disorderly behavior.
The embattled solon is being called to account for his recent designation as a terrorist, his supposed abandonment of office resulting from his prolonged absence in Congress and dancing in boxer shorts in a video uploaded on his social media account.
Teves questioned why the panel, after the lapse of his second “questionable” 60-day suspension, wanted him to undergo the same process on the same matters, which he considered “clearly uncalled for as they are acts of persecution against me.”
“Honestly, it saddens me that this Committee is being used as a tool by this current administration to persecute me on my acts which are nothing but lawful,” Teves said in the letter.
“May I remind you that what you are doing can become a dangerous precedent to future innocent acts of any member of the House, including yourself and the Speaker,” he added.
He further noted that the panel’s proceedings are being used as a vehicle to pressure him to return to the country, “knowing full well” that there are threats to his life and limb which recent events, including a publicized video of death threats, have validated.
But despite the security concerns, no law enforcement authority has even investigated the perpetrator, according to the solon.
“In similar fashion, the authorities have also deliberately ignored all evidence of another possible angle in the Degamo murder, since the same points to a political ally of the administration. This is the unfortunate reality that engulfs this nation at present, and which prevents me from repatriating myself,” Teves added.
Teves, whose second suspension lapsed earlier this August, is being implicated in the murder of his political foe, Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo, and eight others on 4 March in the governor’s residence in Pamplona town, for which he is being tagged as the mastermind.
Right before the killing, Teves flew out of the country and has yet to return due to what he claims are serious threats to his life. His continued stay out of the country, notwithstanding an expired travel clearance, prompted the suspension.
He, however, again insisted that he never abandoned his duty as a lawmaker and stressed that he has been clamoring to be allowed to participate in legislative proceedings, which he argued is permitted by House rules and that his colleagues “equally enjoy” and “exercise”.
Teves claimed he has evidence supporting his assertion that he attempted to participate in several hearings but was blocked from doing so.
As to his physical absence, he said, “Again, I repeat: the principal reason why I have been unable to attend sessions is due to grave and serious threats to my life, threats which have persisted and even intensified, as just two days ago.”
“I have received verifiable reports that armed men, without any court order such as a search warrant, have been in and out of my residence in Bayawan, for the purpose most probably of planting evidence.”