• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
With his authority to travel abroad ended on March 9, Speaker Martin Romualdez yesterday advised Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., who was linked to the assassination of his political rival, Gov. Roel Degamo, to return to the country as soon as possible.
Teves was reportedly in the United States for stem cell treatment.
Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, counsel of Teves, told all concerned “to observe sobriety in their pronouncements regarding the allegations against his client.”
In a statement, Romualdez said that the authority to travel of Teves, which covered the period from Feb. 28 to March 9, lapsed.
He stressed that any travel of Teves outside the country beyond the period is no longer authorized by the House of Representatives.
We want to hear his side of the story, Romualdez said, stressing that the arrested suspects already confessed of their involvement in the crime.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla disclosed yesterday that residents have started coming out and sharing information, with regard to the political violence in Negros Oriental.
“Political violence is what they were complaining about – the violence related to politics and of course, the word impunity comes in,” Remulla told reporters.
He also said that a task force was formed to address the “pattern of impunity” in the province.*
