THE International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has issued a “red notice” against former Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo Teves Jr., who is being considered a fugitive by the Philippine government.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla made the confirmation.
The color-coded notices, according to the Interpol website, are international requests for cooperation or alerts, allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information, and are issued by the General Secretariat at the request of a member country.
The Red Notice will enable member countries to locate and arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action.
Remulla earlier said that Teves was last seen in Timor Leste where he sought asylum but was denied.
Teves has a standing arrest warrant for murder charges over the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo in March 2023 that also resulted in the death of 11 innocent individuals.
He was also implicated in the killing of several individuals in the province since 2019.
He repeatedly denied accusations linking him to the murder incidents and he also refused to go back to the country despite the calls from government officials, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself.
Teves claimed there is a serious threat against his and his family’s life, particularly due to his implication to Degamo’s killing, which happened while he was out of the country for medical purposes.
He was also designated as a terrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council while his passport was cancelled in the orders of the Department of Justice. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)