Court enters not guilty plea for Teves in possession of explosives case
Former lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr.’s mugshot taken during processing at the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Pasay City. — Photo from NBI
MANILA, Philippines—The Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 12 has entered a not guilty plea on behalf of former congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. in a case involving illegal possession of explosives.
Teves, who was recently repatriated from Timor-Leste, personally appeared before the court despite requests from his lawyers that the arraignment be done via video conferencing.
The arraignment, presided over by Judge Renato Enciso, was about the allegations stemming from the discovery of high-powered weapons and ammunition in his family compound in Bayawan City in 2023.
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Following the not guilty plea is the pre-trial, where pieces of evidence to be presented by both parties will be marked for presentation during the trial.
This case is one of the many Teves is facing, which include multiple counts of murder, frustrated murder, and attempted murder for the death of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and 10 others as well as the 2019 killing of a local official.
Teves was brought back to the Philippines last May 29 after his arrest in Timor-Leste, where he had been seeking asylum for nearly two years.
He is currently under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation at its facility in Building 14 inside the Maximum Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prison./mcm
