DESCRIBING an expelled Philippine lawmaker as a “threat to national security” and its interests, Timor-Leste last night said it will expel Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. and the decision takes effect “immediately.”
“The government hereby informs that Mr. Arnolfo Teves Jr. will be deported from Timor-Leste by administrative decision of the Ministry of the Interior, as he is in the country without valid visa, lacking legal authorization to remain, and holding a passport that the Government of the Philippines has cancelled,” it said in a statement.
“The decision, which takes effect immediately, is based on national legislation regarding migration and asylum and is grounded in the risks that this citizen’s continued presence poses to public order and national security,” it added.
The statement said Teves’ continued stay “represents a serious and unacceptable situation.”
“His extended stay in Timor-Leste for over two years poses a disruptive factor in bilateral relations between the two States and establishes a serious precedent with potential implication for internal security. The perception that Timor Leste might be viewed as a refuge for individuals fleeing international justice undermines the integrity of our borders and our shared efforts to combat transnational crimes,” Timor Leste’s government said.
“The imminent full accession of Timor-Leste to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), scheduled for October this year, further reinforces the responsibility of the Timorese State to actively collaborate with its regional partners in upholding justice, legality, and stability in the region,” it added.
HABEAS CORPUS
However, Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said Timor-Leste’s Court of Appeals has granted the former lawmaker’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus.
A copy of the appellate court’s order sent by Topacio to reporters showed that Presiding Judge Jacinta da Costa ordered the Attorney General Jacinto Babo Soares to present Teves to the court “within 48 hours.”
Topacio earlier said the petition for writ of habeas corpus questions the basis of the arrest of his client and possible deportation to Manila.
He said if Teves’ petition for habeas corpus is granted, he will be brought by Timorese authorities to the court where they will be questioned on the basis of his arrest and detention, and if he will be deported to Manila, the reason for his deportation.
Topacio stressed that the law is on their side as he cited the March 2025 decision of Timor Leste’s Court of Appeals rejecting Manila’s request to extradite Teves, who is being tagged as the alleged mastermind in the March 2023 killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others.
Asked for comment on the writ of habeas corpus, Justice Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano said he cannot speak for Timor-Leste or its courts.
“We will only base our decisions and actions on what they officially communicate to the Philippine government. What happens there internally is no longer within our jurisdiction to comment on,” Clavano said, without confirming or denying if indeed Teves managed to get his plea granted.
