Lawyer claims Teves remains unwilling to return home

Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. will not return home from abroad until his “security concerns” are met by the government, according to his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio. Teves has been suspended from the House of Representatives after being cited for “disorderly behavior” for failing to return to the country to perform his duties as a lawmaker. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla named Teves as among the masterminds behind the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and eight of his supporters in March, which Teves denies. Although President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Philippines National Police chief offered Teves security if he returns home, Teves and his lawyers are not satisfied with the level of protection offered. Teves’ lawyers have requested a meeting with Speaker Martin Romualdez to discuss the congressman’s security issues but have not disclosed further details about what exactly they are requesting.