The Department of Justice has begun the process to designate Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves as a terrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council, possibly with three others implicated in the assassination of Governor Roel Degamo last March.
“This morning the Anti-Terror Council met already and I’ve made a case already for the designation,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in an interview.
“We started the process of designating Congressman Arnie Teves as a terrorist and a technical working group has been formed to recommend the action of the ATC as to the designation of Arnie Teves and with that, I just made a case out of it,” he added.
Asked why Teves had to be tagged as a terrorist, Remulla pointed to his alleged involvement in the killing of the Negros Oriental Governor, who was shot by several gunmen inside his residence.
Remulla said Marvin Miranda, an alleged associate of Teves, had been included in the ATC case.
Miranda had been indicted for nine counts of murder, 13 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder in connection with the attack on Degamo’s residence.
“We call it the Teves criminal group and Teves criminal organization. There are at least four people that will be pointed out already as part of the terrorist organization,” Remulla said.
“Certainly, there are three others, including Marvin Miranda or (the alleged) casting director,” he added.
Eight others were killed in the attack, which happened while Degamo was leading the distribution of cash assistance at his home in Pamplona town.
“Governor Degamo is the highest locally elected official in the whole of Negros Oriental and for that person to be killed in his own home by a group of professional soldiers and of course recorded for posterity by the CCTV system shows us how brazen the crime was,” Remulla said.
“If a person with the rank of governor can be killed in his own home because of forces like this then who will not be terrorized by such an action,” Remulla said.
The Teves camp had yet to comment on the development at press time.
“The case against Cong Teves for multiple murder, for multiple frustrated murder, multiple attempted murder will be filed very soon,” Remulla said.
Teves has repeatedly denied his involvement in Degamo’s killing, saying he had nothing to gain from it.
“I feel it has become rather funny, to tell you the truth,” Teves said in a Zoom interview. “It’s becoming to be a circus. How can you be a terrorist when you have yet to be charged? Also, how can you be the mastermind if in the first place, there’s nothing?” —NB, GMA Integrated News