DOJ: Teves assets frozen this week

MANILA, Philippines — The government is expected to freeze this week all the assets of suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. and 12 others – including his brother, former governor Pryde Henry – following their designation as terrorists over deadly gun violence in the province in 2019 and this year.

“This type of process is meant to be quick; it’s meant to be fast precisely because we want to prevent the dissipation of assets,” Department of Justice spokesman Mico Clavano said yesterday.

Even if Teves has been designated a terrorist by the government, only the freezing of his assets could be done as no arrest warrants could be issued without a terrorist proscription from the Court of Appeals (CA), the DOJ said.

While he did not reveal the next steps to be taken by the Anti-Terrorism Council, the ATC may file a proscription case before the CA against the designated terrorist groups, Clavano, who is also council spokesman, said.

“At this point I just like to emphasize that designation is the only step the ATC has taken so far… Proscription has not been taken by the ATC,” he said.

“The only consequence of a designation, according to the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, is that his assets will be frozen by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). This is purely preparatory for other remedies that the government can take against the designee,” Clavano said in an interview over CNN Philippines.

Aside from the Teves brothers, designated as terrorists were alleged bagman Marvin Miranda, ex-soldiers Rogelio Antipolo, Rommel Pattaguan, Winrich Isturis, John Louie Gonyon, Dahniel Lora, Eulogio Gonyon Jr. – who are among the 10 ex-soldiers accused of carrying out the deadly March 4 attack on then Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others.

Also included were Tomasino Aledro, Nigel Electona, Jomarie Catubay and Hannah Mae Sumero Oray – who were Teves’ co-accused in the multiple murder cases over the 2019 killings in the province.