Teves is given until July 17 to file reply to murder charges

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has ordered Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. until July 17 to submit his counter-affidavit on murder charges filed against him for the deaths of 10 persons including Gov. Roel Degamo, and injuries inflicted on 18 others on March 4, 2023 in Pamplona town.

Meanwhile, The DOJ defended a ruling of its panel of prosecutors denying the motion to inhibit themselves from conducting the preliminary investigation of the murder charges against Teves.

During the preliminary investigation on Tuesday, the DOJ’s panel of prosecutors also denied a motion to inhibit its members from further conducting the initial probe on the charges filed against Teves.

Teves’ lawyers earlier sought the panel’s inhibition and to turn over the preliminary investigation of the charges to the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) over alleged bias and pre-judgments.

The suspended legislator had been charged with 10 counts of murder, 14 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder in the March 4 murder of Degamo and nine others.

Teves has also been tagged as “one of the masterminds” in the Degamo slaying. He has denied the allegations.

One of Teves’ lawyers, Andres Manuel, said their request for time to file counter-affidavit was granted during the hearing. “Actually, we were given more time,” he said, after the hearing.

“They denied the motion for inhibition because, for them, they act independently,” he said.