ARNOLFO Teves’ own political party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), supported the House of Representatives’ move to expel him as representative of the third district of Negros Oriental, saying his colleagues waited too long for him to return to work.
“I believe they were fair,” Rizal Rep. Michael John Duavit, NPC secretary general, told reporters right after the House voted to expel Teves on Wednesday night.
Other parties at the House like the National Unity Party (NUP), the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), and Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. (PCFI), issued statements also backing the House decision.
The NUP, the second largest party at the House, said “the credibility, honor and effectiveness of our House of Representatives hinge on the utmost integrity, transparency, and commitment of its members.”
NUP’s president, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, said they “firmly stand” behind the expulsion move “for gross violations of his oath of office and disorderly behavior as a member of the 19th Congress.”
Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, PDP-Laban deputy secretary general for Mindanao, said the party, expresses its “unambiguous endorsement” for Teves’ expulsion while Rep. Zaldy Co (PL, Ako Bicol), PCGFI chair, said they “support the decision to uphold the honor, dignity, and legacy of the House” by expelling Teves.
Teves’ lead counsel, Ferdinand Topacio, said they are studying all legal remedies to contest the House decision. He said the expulsion should have been put on hold because of unresolved petitions questioning the decision of the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) tagging him as a terrorist under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, and another before the Office of the Ombudsman on the allegation that he had abandoned his duties as congressman due to his continued absence from the House.
“Based on the provision of the own rules of the House of Representatives committee, it states that if the same matters under their consideration is pending before a judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative body then the ethics committee should defer action on the complaint,” Topacio told CNN Philippines Thursday.
Topacio also said the House decision was “a dark day for the rule of law” and that the proceedings of the House committee on ethics and privileges “are nothing but that of a kangaroo court.”
On Wednesday night, House members voting 265-0 with three abstentions, expelled Teves for his continued absence without a travel authority, which constitutes “disorderly behavior.”
Teves, whose whereabouts remains unknown, is accused of masterminding the assassination of his political rival, Gov. Roel Degamo, last March 4. He left for the United States a few days earlier and has not returned, saying there are threats to his life.
Aside from being tagged by no less than Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla as alleged mastermind in the Degamo killing, Teves is facing charges in connection with the killing of three persons in Negros Oriental in 2019, and for illegal possession of firearms.
With Teves’ expulsion, the House leadership will have to appoint a caretaker for Negros Oriental’s third district while waiting for the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on whether a special election will be called.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body is ready to hold special polls.
“If we will be directed to hold a special election in the district, we will comply with haste,” said Garcia.
“Congress will have to declare vacancy and then direct us to hold a special election,” he added.
On whether the special polls can still be held together with the October 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, he said, “There is not enough time (to prepare).”
Duavit said the “wording” of the House committee on ethics’ recommendation shows that fairness was observed, pointing out that moves to expel Teves have been deferred a number of times.
“Basically Cong. Arnie was given every opportunity to come home,” said Duavit who urged Teves last June to consider the advice to return to the country not as a punishment but as a “lifeline.”
“The issue here is really, you cannot just be absent without leave indefinitely,” said. — With Gerard Naval and Ashzel Hachero
