The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it will appeal a Manila court’s decision allowing former Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. to post bail in one of his pending murder cases.
In a statement, the DOJ stressed that the ruling by Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 12 will not go uncontested. “The Department of Justice has taken note of the order… We emphasize, however, that this grant of bail will be the subject of strong opposition by our prosecutors,” the agency said.
Prosecutors underscored that Teves’ release would pose “a grave and imminent danger to the public,” adding that justice must be served not only for victims and their families but also for the protection of the rule of law. “We remain steadfast in our duty to exhaust every legal remedy, to vigorously oppose unwarranted bail applications and to ensure that accountability is demanded to its fullest extent,” the DOJ said.
Despite winning bail in this case, Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand Topacio clarified that the ex-lawmaker remains in detention as other bail petitions are still pending. Teves himself claimed the charges are politically motivated and argued that the ruling showed the cases were weak.
Teves is currently facing a string of cases across several courts. These include 10 counts of murder, 13 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder linked to the March 2023 attack in Pamplona town that killed Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and others. He is also facing three separate murder cases from 2019, as well as charges for illegal possession of firearms, explosives, and alleged terrorist financing.
The DOJ emphasized that the bail ruling in one case does not weaken the broader web of charges still pending against him.
