THE widow of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo yesterday said she was saddened by the decision of House committee on ethics and privileges to dismiss her petition to expel suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves, alleged mastermind behind the March 4 killing of her husband and nine others in the province.
“Of course I am so said about it because our desire really is to have him expelled,” Pamplona town Mayor Janice Degamo said in a TV interview.
She admitted there was lapse in the filing of the petition, leading to its dismissal.
Teves earlier on Wednesday was charged with murder, multiple frustrated murder, and multiple attempted murder before the Department of Justice.
Late Wednesday, committee chairman Rep. Felimon Espares said panel members rejected Mayor Degamo’s letter because it failed to pass requirements “in form and content,” noting that it was not a sworn complaint.”
Degamo filed the petition a few weeks after the attack on their residence in the town. She said “the totality of the evidence at hand against Congressman Teves shows that he has failed to conduct himself accordingly as a member of Congress.”
Degamo said that while her letter was not notarized, affidavits attached to the letter were duly notarized.
“The (Congress) session was about to take a break at that time. “Perhaps, we (failed to see) that part,” she said.
“After we get to know what will be the next step of Congress, we might explore another avenue to have him expelled. Like the angle on gambling, that can also be something that we might also explore to get the expulsion,” said Mrs. Degamo.
Teves admitted he used to run an online cockfighting but that before the government declared the gambling as illegal last year.
On the possibility of Teves getting expelled if he fails to show up after the end of his 60-day suspension and his rejected application to seek asylum in Timor-Leste, Mrs Degamo said:
“I will be very happy if Congress will pursue that, not just me but hundreds and maybe thousands others from Negros Oriental who would love to see him expelled from work.”
“I am not a lawyer but think the reason why Congressman Arnie wouldn’t confirm or deny whether he sought asylum in another country was because, or for fear that it might really be the reason that he will be expelled,” she added.
