Photo from Philippine News Agency (PNA)
The Court of Appeals has ruled to remove former Negros Oriental Gov. Pryde Henry Teves from the government’s list of designated terrorists, also lifting the freeze order on his assets.
In a December 18 decision, the CA’s Former Special Sixth Division granted Teves’ petition questioning his designation under Anti-Terrorism Council Resolution No. 43, describing the move as “baseless and uncalled for.”
The court said criminal liability should be addressed through proper prosecution rather than through terrorist labeling.
“If he indeed committed atrocious acts as respondents would want us to believe, then he should be indicted for the crimes he actually committed,” the decision read.
The appellate court also rejected the notion that branding an individual a terrorist amounts to justice, saying it “doesn’t make it justified or the right thing to do.”
Alongside the delisting, the court ordered the Anti-Money Laundering Council to lift the sanction freeze order issued against Teves.
The Anti-Terrorism Council in 2023 designated Teves, his brother Arnolfo Teves Jr., and the latter’s alleged armed group as terrorists.
That designation was linked to the March 4, 2023 killing of then-Negros Oriental Gov. Ruel Degamo and other incidents that authorities said created fear among residents.
Teves earlier asked the court to reverse the designation, arguing there was no probable cause to tag him as a terrorist.
On June 20 this year, he was arrested in Negros Oriental for allegedly financing terrorism but was later released after posting P600,000 bail.