Arrest order out on Teves

A Manila court has issued a warrant of arrest on Tuesday against former Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. and several others in connection with the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine other individuals.

SUSPENDED Negros Oriental Third District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr.

Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 51 Presiding Judge Merianthe Pacita Zuraek, who issued the arrest warrant, also ordered the resetting of the arraignment and pre-trial conference of the Degamo case to Oct. 4, 2023 due to the “voluminous documents” submitted before the court.

The hearing was originally scheduled for September 6.

Aside from Teves, warrants of arrest were also issued against his co-accused Capt. Lloyd Garcia 2nd, Angelo Palagtiw and a certain “Gee Ann,” who was identified as the sister of Palagtiw.

Meanwhile, a commitment order was issued against another accused, Nigel Electona, who is currently detained in Manila City Jail. He will be transferred to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.

Cases for murder, frustrated murder and attempted murder have been filed by the Department of Justice (DoJ) against Teves on August 18 for the killing of Degamo and several others.

Teves is being tagged as one of the masterminds in the assassination of Degamo.

Eleven other suspects have been charged with murder, frustrated murder and attempted murder in July for the same killings. They are Winrich Isturis, Joric Labrador, Benjie Rodriguez, Eulogio and John Louie Gonyong, Joven Javier, Dahniel Lora, Romel Pattaguan, Jhudiel Rivero, Rogelio Antipolo Jr. and their alleged leader Marvin Miranda.

Degamo was shot several times at his residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental on March 4, 2023, while he was overseeing the distribution of aid to local beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) program.

Nine other people were also killed in the shooting while 17 others were injured.