SEVERAL residents of Negros Oriental, including families of murder victims, aired their grievances against brothers former governor Pryde Henry and dismissed third district representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. during a Senate inquiry into the killing of Governor Roel Degamo on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
In a hearing led by Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs chairman Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, several resource persons said the Teveses were being favored by the local police due to the perks they get from him and his family.
Siaton, Negros Oriental Mayor Fritz Diaz, a relative of Degamo, showed a video of a surprise birthday “mañanita” arranged by police for Congressman Teves during the proceedings.
“Kaya walang naso-solve na killings sa Negros Oriental is because of the enforcers. Pero karamihan ng may rank na enforcers bayad ng Teves using gambling money,” Diaz said, referring to both Henry and Arnolfo.
Diaz said police were turning a blind eye on the continuous operation of the Teveses’ e-sabong business despite an order from the previous administration to stop its operations.
Henry was quick to defend and clear his name against involvement to gambling.
“I'm not involved in any gaming, any numbers game. In fact, I already gave my bank waiver on bank secrecy to open my bank account. Makita kung biglang yumaman ... nandun [ang] property acquisition. I can assure you none of that came from illegal activities,” he said.
Degamo’s widow, Pamplona Mayor Janice, said the Negrenses were facing “moneyed people fueled by e-sabong, small town lottery and maybe even drugs.”
“The governor is the highest position of the province, but the gambling lord has more money than the provincial government allotment by the National Government, intel funds,” she said.
Janice said residents of the province were frightened by the power of the Teveses.
Wilfred Estiñoso, father of Juwim, a former candidate for councilor in Bayawan City, narrated how the police downplayed his son’s report about threats against his life by not listing it on blotter reports.
Juwim was killed in an attacker later on.
“Juwim went to the police station to report that something had happened to them and he received a death threat. Sinabihan lang siya ni policeman na ‘guni-guni mo lang yan’, hindi in-entertain,” said Wilfred.
Negros Oriental Police Staff Sergeant Renevic Rizaldo, who is being pointed to as the desk officer when Juwin tried to seek police assistance, said he could no longer remember the incident but he noted that he entertain all those who seek for help.
Rizalde admitted he was formerly assigned as a security detail to Congressman Teves.
Rizalde was later cited for contempt for lying during the proceedings.
Authorities are currently investigating several murder incidents in the said provinces over the past years to which the Teveses are being tagged as masterminds.
It includes the murder of local candidate Michael Dungog, local radio broadcaster Dindo Generoso and the son of Gina Palma, a staff member of Degamo.
Palma said she was being blamed by her husband for the death of his son allegedly over her links with the Degamos.
Several complainants also cry of harassment by the Teveses in relation to their business.
Police Colonel Hansel Marantan, of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) who investigated killings in Negros Oriental, also expressed his frustration over the lack of cooperation of the local police to their probe.
He said they have to bring the arrested individuals to Manila as they cannot file the charges in the courts there due to “too much tension.”
“They cannot even mention the name of Teves. Tanungin mo lang kung sinong congressman dito, governor, they cannot even mention. You see that?” Marantan said.
“I am also scared na pumunta doon but I tried going there because di rin naman ako, yung unang pasok namin diyan sino ang local policemen na tumulong sa amin? Almost none of you ang tumulong sa amin. Pinangakuan lang kami, kami ang security forces, kami pa ang patago-tago para mag-briefing para i-implement ang SW sa mga targets doon. That’s the real situation there,” he added.
Dela Rosa, a former chief of the national police agency, expressed disappointments over the matters surfacing during the hearings especially the favor being bestowed by the local police to several politicians.
Senator Francis Tolentino made a motion directing the Department of Justice to create a Special Task Force to investigate the unresolved killings in the province noting that even fiscals there were also “afraid.”
In response, in a television interview on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, Arnolfo said he sees nothing wrong with the surprise birthday greetings given to him by the police.
He also denied spreading fear among his constituents as he likened himself to a “celebrity.”
“Ganito lang kasimple yun boss: Kung nakakatakot ako ba't andaming nagpapa-picture sa akin?” said Teves.
(It's as simple as this, boss: If I'm scary, are people willing to take pictures of me?)
“Kung kahit saan-saan ako pumunta, para din akong artista. I’m a celebrity. People want to have their picture taken, my picture taken with them. Magpapapicture ka ba sa taong nakakatakot? Hindi naman ‘di ba? Sabay, tingnan niyo kung ilang followers nila sa social media at ilan followers ko. I’m more of a celebrity than them so, wala naman yatang celebrity [na] nakakatakot,” he added.
(Wherever I go, I feel like a celebrity. I'm a celebrity. People want to have my picture taken with them. Would you take a picture of a scary person? No, right? At the same time, see how many followers they have on social media and how many followers I have. I'm more of a celebrity than them so; I don't think any celebrity [is] scary.) (SunStar Philippines)