FIRST SAY:
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
—Thomas Jefferson
Two political celebrities who have been hiding for several months now and running away from the responsibility to face their respective criminal charges are in the news again today. First is Arnolfo Teves. The second is Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
Former Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo Teves, who had been expelled from the House, went abroad and sought asylum in East Timor, was released today from preventive detention in Becora Prison in Dili, Timor Leste.
This was the terse message by Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, counsel of Teves.
Topacio texted us: “Rep. Arnolfo Teves was released from preventive detention pending his extradition trial, my Timor Leste (TL) counterparts inform me, because the request for extradition by the Philippines Government was made out of time and in a manner that is not sanctioned by practice and customary international law. In other words, our government ‘screwed up’. Thus, his imprisonment was declared illegal.
“According to CRA Law Office and Dr. Jose Ximenez, there are still judicial proceedings that Rep. Teves will have to undergo relating to his continued stay in TL which will start tomorrow, and he will be present therein, together with witnesses in his favor, including former Human Rights Commissioner Wilhelm Soriano, who will be presented as an expert in human rights.
“The road to justice for Mr. Teves will be long and hard, bloody and painful but we will never surrender, to paraphrase Winston Churchill.”
Meanwhile, the Manila Times also announced yesterday the same news item, saying Topacion did not provide additional details to his announcement which was accompanied by a photograph showing Teves and several companions.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) has yet to issue a statement regarding the supposed release of Teves.
Earlier, the Department of Justice said the country’s request for the extradition of the former congressman has passed the initial screening and is now before the Court of Appeals of Timor Leste.
It said that the Ministry of Justice of Timor Leste forwarded and endorsed the extradition request to the Court of Appeals and that it is just waiting for the decision on whether to deport, extradite or transfer Teves back to the Philippines.
Teves is facing multiple murder charges for the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and several others in 2023.
This writer noted in an editorial written last April, 2024 that any observer of official policies and procedures in going after suspected criminals, especially if they are so-called celebrities or high-profile personalities, can very well conclude that we have an emasculated government.
We have a long list of high-profile persons who have been accused of serious crimes who disappeared for some time, evading the long arm of the law, waiting for a change of administration or the reversal of political winds’ direction, before rejoining society. Some of them, of course, were either caught or opted to surrender, spent some time in jail or house/hospital arrest, then enjoyed a new lease in life following questionable judicial exoneration. After this low point in their careers, several of these personalities were either appointed to important offices in government or worse, elected again in positions of power.
We do not have to cite these officials and high-profile persons, but the list keeps adding names to it, the most recent being former congressman Arnulfo Teves and religious leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. The two are both trying to ward off common charges of alleged crimes they committed, such as murder and abuse of minors, by showing defiance to official authority.
The first show of rejection of authority is by fleeing to another country. In the case of Teves, he escaped abroad and ended up in East Timor where he sought asylum but failed. The police caught up with him while playing golf in Dili and legal arrangements are now being made to extradite him to the Philippines.
In the case of Quiboloy, the Senate has long been asking him to attend a public hearing to answer charges of abuse and other crimes mostly from his followers in his religious congregation, Kingdom of Jesus Christ. He continues to evade the hearing, until the Senate issued an arrest order to force him to attend. This did not bother the pastor much, until the Regional Trial Court of Davao City issued warrants of arrest against Quiboloy and five of his followers for violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
Quiboloy is also wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for child sex trafficking.
In 2021, the US Justice Department charged Quiboloy with sex trafficking of girls and women aged 12 to 25 to work as personal assistants, or “pastorals,” who were allegedly required to have sex with him. A federal warrant was issued for his arrest on Nov. 10, 2021.
The last time we heard of Pastor Quiboloy—according to his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio—was that he was praying in a “prayer mountain” in Singapore.
Recently, Quiboloy outlined the conditions for his surrender in a 30-minute recorded statement on the YouTube channel of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), which he reportedly owns.
In his message, Quiboloy said he would not show his face unless the Marcos administration gave him a written guarantee that the US would not meddle in his cases in the Philippines. This was also addressed to the PNP CIDG, NBI and DOJ.
The fugitive pastor said he wants a guarantee “that the Americans will not interfere in his case in the Philippines and that their FBI, Central Intelligence Agency and the US embassy will not meddle.”
Both Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and President Bongbong Marcos said Quiboloy is in no position to demand conditions or any kind of guarantee for his surrender, although the President said his safety and a fair trial are what the government can give him.
True, the fugitive suspect cannot impose any conditions. He must surrender, not according to his terms but according to the terms of the law. The law applies to all, without exception.
In his truncated English, the late Mayor Alfredo Lim said, “The law applies to all, otherwise none at all.” Hehehe, pakiulit yung sinabi?