MURDER charges were filed yesterday before the Department of Justice against Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves in connection with the 2019 killing of former councilor Miguel Lopez Dungog and two others.
It was unknown why the cases were filed only yesterday.
The cases were filed by the victims’ families through lawyer Levito Baligod who said it has nothing to do with ongoing efforts to unmask the mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo last Saturday.
Baligod said they have long been preparing the cases against Teves, and it just happened the Degamo was killed when they completed the preparation of the cases.
Aside from Dungog, Teves was also sued for the killing of Lester Pialgao Bato and Pacito Retes Libron.
Teves, whose brother ran against Degamo in the gubernatorial race last year, on Sunday denied any hand in Degamo’s killing. Teves has yet to issue a statement on the filing of cases against him.
Baligod said the three counts of murder against Teves and other respondents were based on a sworn statement executed by self-confessed gunman Gemuel Hobro before the PNP-CIDG.
According to the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation Detection Group and the families of the victims, Dungog was killed on March 25, 2019 in front of the Silliman Medical Center in Dumaguete City; Bato on March 26, 2019 in Barangay Nagbo-alao, Basay, Negros Oriental; and Libron on June 23, 2019 in Barangay Malabugas, Bayawan City.
Dungog was about to park his car in the compound of the Siliman University Medical Center when he was attacked. At the time of his killing, Dungog was president of the Philippine Councilor’s League Negros Oriental chapter, making him an ex-oficio provincial board member. Dungog, also a former NBI agent, was running for board member in the May 2019 elections.
Also sued for the same counts of murder was a certain Hannah Mae identified as Teves’ secretary.
Two counts of murder were also filed against Richard Cuadra aka Boy Cuadra and Jasper Tanasan aka Bobong Tanasan while Rolando Pinili and Alex Mayagma were sued for one count each of murder.
Baligod said the families and the CIDG filed the cases against Teves “for killings that were perpetrated way back in 2019.”
He said the witnesses are those involved in the killings. “Ito yung mga assassination team na nag execute ng affidavit (They were members of the assassination team, who executed affidavits),” he said.
“I think there will be more because in my record based on the complaints, there were 12 murders committed between the period of 2018 and 2019. Involving one group of hired assassins,” he said.
Baligod gained fame and controversy as legal counsel of “pork barrel” scam whistleblower Benhur Luy.
The complaint said Hobro tagged Teves as mastermind in the killing of Gungog and the two others, and accused of providing the “operational expenses” for the assassination team.
The lawmaker and his secretary was tagged as “principals by inducement” while the rest of the respondents were charged as “principals by direct participation.”
Tanasan and Mayagma were charged for their “indispensable cooperation” that made possible the killing of the victims.
“Allegedly they were summoned by Congressman Teves, gave them the instructions to assassinate these victims,” Baligod said.
