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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Rep Teves, 5 others charged before Negros Oriental trial court for deaths of 3 persons in 2019

Rep Teves, 5 others charged before Negros Oriental trial court for deaths of 3 persons in 2019

Published Aug 15, 2023 10:14 am

Murder charges have been filed in court against Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” A. Teves for the deaths of three persons in the province in 2019.

 

The filing of the cases before the Negros Oriental regional trial court (RTC) was confirmed by Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento.

 

Aside from Teves, also named in multiple murder cases were Hannah Mae Sumerano, Richard Cuadra, Jasper Tanasan, Alex Mayagma, Rolando Pinili.

 

They were indicted for the killings in 2019 of former Negros Oriental board member and former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent Michael Dungog; Lester Bato, a body guard of Basay mayoralty candidate Cliff Cordova; and Pacito Libron, an alleged hitman associated with Teves.

 

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said the DOJ will ask the Supreme Court (SC) to transfer the venue of the cases to Manila like what the SC did in the cases involving the slaying of Negros Oriental Roel R. Degamo and nine other persons.

 

Remulla said the members of the DOJ’s National Prosecution Service (NPS) left Monday, Aug. 14, to file the case in Negros Oriental.

 

“The initial venue should be in Negros before it is transferred to Manila by formal motion,” Remulla said.

 

In filing the complaint in court, the DOJ panel of investigators said: “After a comprehensive evaluation of the complaint and the presented evidence, the investigating panel of prosecutors determined that the evidence is sufficient to substantiate charges of three counts of murder, as defined and penalized under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), as amended. These charges pertain to the actions of respondents Congressman Teves, Sumerano, Cuadra, Tanasan, Mayagma, and Pinili.”

 

The charges against Teves in the slaying of Degamo and nine other persons are still pending resolution by the DOJ panel of prosecutors.

 

Teves, who has been under suspension for failure to return to the country despite the lapse of his foreign travel authority on March 9, 2023, has denied the allegations against him in the Degamo slaying.

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