A MANILA court yesterday entered a “not guilty” plea for former Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. during his arraignment for charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives, one of his many criminal cases.
The court entered the not guilty plea after Teves invoked his constitutional right to remain silent.
Wearing a Kevlar helmet and bullet-resistant vest and escorted by heavily armed agents of the National Bureau of Investigation, Teves attended the hearing at the sala of Manila RTC Branch 12 presiding judge Renato Enciso.
Teves is accused of violating the law on possession of illegal explosives and firearms that authorities said they seized and confiscated from his house in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental in the aftermath of the March 2023 attack that killed Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others.
Enciso’s sala is also handling one of the murder complaints against the former lawmaker.
The arraignment took place after several days of uncertainty on whether Teves would appear personally or via videoconferencing.
In a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, NBI Director Jaime Santiago said Teves through his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio has asked the court to allow remote appearance but he said the NBI is also ready to secure the former lawmaker if the request is not granted.
Teves is being held at an NBI detention facility inside New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City after he was deported to Manila by the Timor-Leste government last week.
The NBI has postponed his transfer to the Manila City Jail despite a court order because he is facing multiple criminal cases in different courts.
Aside from Branch 12 of the Manila RTC, Teves is also facing 10 counts of murder, 13 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder before the Manila RTC Branch 51 for the killing of Degamo and nine others.
Another murder case is also lodged before the Manila RTC Branch 15 and Branch 63 of the Bayawan City RTC.
Charges for violation of the Terrorist Financing, Prevention, and Suppression Act have been filed before the Quezon City RTC Branch 77.
Following the arraignment, a pre-trial was held during which evidence to be presented by both parties will be marked for presentation during the trial proper of the case.
