Criminal charges have been filed against suspended Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. and four of his cohorts for the killing of Governor Roel Degamo and nine others in an ambush attack in March.
This was confirmed by Department of Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano in a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday.
Clavano said murder, frustrated murder, and attempted murder cases were filed before the Manila Regional Trial Court on 18 August while the warrant of arrest against Teves is expected to be out “in the next few days.”
Teves was tagged as the mastermind of the crime against Degamo.
“‘Yung Degamo case po ay na-i-file na rin po sa Manila. ‘Yun po ay nasa korte na rin at hinihintay na lang po natin ang (The Degamo case has already been filed in Manila. It’s in the court already and we are awaiting the issuance of a) warrant of arrest,” Clavano said, noting that similar criminal cases were already filed against eleven other suspects last July.
In 2019, criminal charges were also filed before the Bayawan City RTC Branch against Teves and others due to the number of social injustices and killing incidents in Negros Oriental.
Following the investigation of the brutal attack against Degamo and nine others in his residence in Pamplona town as well as other political killings in the province, the Anti-Terrorism Council recently designated Teves and 12 others as “terrorists.”
Clavano said the DoJ is requesting the transfer of the trial venue in Manila.
“Gusto natin na neutral ground ang magiging venue para sa kaso (We want the venue for the case to be in a neutral ground),” he said.