Plea for DOJ to inhibit from Teves case denied
A panel of government prosecutors overseeing the preliminary investigation into the murder charges related to the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo has denied the motion for inhibition submitted by provincial representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr.
This development came to light after a hearing at the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday.
“The panel has denied the motion for inhibition, stating that they act independently. We emphasized earlier that our motion for inhibition was not directed solely at the panel but at the entire Department of Justice,”Atty. Andres Manuel, one of the defense counsels, said in Filipino.
Manuel added that they requested the panel to provide an official written copy of the denial to enable the defense team to review it and proceed accordingly.
“We asked them to provide a written denial of their inhibition so that we can obtain an official copy and understand the precise reasons behind their decision. This will help us determine the appropriate course of action. We may file a motion for reconsideration or choose to escalate the matter to a higher authority,” Manuel explained.
The camp of Teves has called for the recusal of the Justice Department in handling the multiple murder cases against the suspended lawmaker, citing preconceived judgment by the head of the prosecution, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
In a motion for inhibition, Teves, represented by counsel Ferdinand Topacio, has requested an immediate transfer of the case to the Office of the Ombudsman, a non-political entity headed by former Supreme Court associate justice Samuel Martires.
During a chance interview with reporters, Topacio expressed concern about their camp receiving fair treatment from the DOJ, regardless of which prosecutors handle the cases arising from the assassination of Degamo and others.
“Here we have a motion for inhibition. We are requesting the entire DOJ to inhibit itself from hearing Cong Teves’ case because, in our view, the Secretary of Justice has already pronounced him guilty. As we say here, which prosecutor would say there is no probable cause, effectively admitting their secretary’s mistake,”Topacio said.
Teves has consistently denied any involvement in Degamo’s assassination and expressed his intention to return to the Philippines once his concerns about personal safety have been adequately addressed.
