Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla on Thursday, Nov. 23, said the passport of fugitive and expelled Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo "Arnie" A. Teves Jr. is in the process of cancellation.
"Pag ikaw ay (If you are a) fugitive from justice, your right to travel is impaired basically. Ang kanyang passport po ay (Teves' passport is) in the process of being cancelled," Remulla said during a press briefing.
Arrest warrants has already been issued against Teves for multiple murder charges in the March 4, 2023 killings in Pamplona town in Negros Oriental. One of the 10 persons killed was Negros Oriental Gov. Roel R. Degamo.
Also, warrants of arrest have been issued against Teves on the murder of three persons in 2019. Killed were 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.
At the same time, Teves has been designated as terrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC).
“You have a limit now on your constitutional right to travel when you are fugitive from justice and you cannot seek from a government for protection ‘pag meron kang record na ikaw ay wanted ng batas (if you have a record that you are a fugitive from justice),” Remulla said.
He believes that Teves is still in Timor-Leste where the expelled legislator has filed an appeal over the decision of the government to deny his request to be granted asylum.
“Nguni't tingin namin hindi malaki chansa niya makakuha ng asylum (We don’t think he has a big chance to secure asylum),” he said.
When Teves' passport is cancelled, Remulla said the DOJ will work out to place him in the red notice of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
“Ang isa pang winowork out rin namin ngayon ‘yung Interpol red notice (We are working to have the name of Teves placed in the Interpol red notice),” he said.
Also, he said, the name of Teves as a fugitive will be placed in the records of the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime (PCTC).