BY JOEL CALAMBA ESCOL, Managing Editor
MANILA, Philippines – The lawyer of the 3rd District, Representative Arnolfo Teves, Jr was saddened by the ethic’s committee denying his client to attend a committee hearing to explain his side on the recent killing of Governor Roel Degamo.
Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio told the media several requests were made by his camp that Rep Teves be allowed to attend virtually since he is still in the United States.
Topacio said his client wanted to explain his side via a teleconference in zoom which has been a regular practice of the House for those who can’t make it personally for valid reasons.
“Despite several requests, Congressman Teves was not allowed to talk via teleconference to explain his side so that the public would know the truth behind the issues,” Teves’s counsel said.
He claimed that he noticed something wrong and it seems “the plot thickens” against his Client Cong Arnie Teves.
He said before it were only the Department of Justice and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) who are encircling the congressman from Negros Oriental, but now it seems the House Of Representatives is going after his client.
Topacio claimed the government seems to be “obsessed” with his client and they’re putting all the blame on Cong Teves regarding the deaths of those who died in Negros.
Lawyer Topacio wants to remind all government agencies that his client is innocent until proven guilty.
“They must follow all the leads and look at all the angles.” That only shows that they have a weak case so they must justify it on the bar of public opinion,” Topacio claimed.
He accused the government agencies handling the case as if they were all “resorting to trial by publicity.”
Topacio claimed that his client is facing serious threats in his life and why would the government not understand his situation? he asked.
Meanwhile, Cong Teves secretary filed a case yesterday for violation of human rights before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) against some personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Hanna May Oray, Cong Teves secretary, was with her lawyer Toby Diokno when she filed her case yesterday at the CHR office.
