The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday conducted raids on the houses that belong to Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. in the province so as to do searches for possible loose firearms.

According to reports, the said raid was led by the elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police.

In a radio interview, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, confirmed a raid was indeed done in the houses of Teves, as he claimed that a search warrant had covered five houses.

Not all though belonged to Teves.

“Ilan lang diyan ang bahay ni Teves [only some of them belong to Teves],” Abalos said.

In a separate interview, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, the legal council for Teves, said that there was indeed a raid but he has not seen any search.

“Hindi pa klaro sa amin kung sino ang hinahanap nila o kung ano ang hinahanap nila,” he said.

According to the house occupants and other lawyers, they were not allowed to enter houses as the raid were being done.

“Ikinalulungkot ko, nung dumating yung raiding party may naka-standby po dun na mga tao, mga occupants ay pinalabas po lahat. Pati abugado pinalabas at ayaw papasukin,” Topacio said.

Topacio also said that the raid did not come as a surprise.

“Itong raid na ‘to na-predict na namin ito. Almost three months I think noong nag-press conference kami ni Congressman Arnie Teves dito sa Valle Verde Country Club, na intel po sa amin na talagang ire-raid itong mga bahay,” Topacio said.

It will be recalled that Teves accused Abalos on January of putting efforts to secure a search warrant on his residence and plant evidence against him.

Topacio, said that he is trying to reach Teves, who is in the United States, over the raid.

The raid on the houses was done after two suspects pointed to a certain “Cong Teves” as the one who allegedly ordered the hit on Governor Roel Degamo.

Gov. Degamo was killed at his residence in Pamplona town on March 4.

Asked if the raid is connected with Degamo’s killing, Abalos said there were statements about illegal firearms during the investigation into the murder complaints recently filed against Teves for killings committed in 2019.

“During that time of the investigation, this is in relation to 2019 — hindi ito kay Governor Degamo, ibang kaso ito, yung finile nila kailan lang — ‘yun nga may nakita silang mga statements about illegal firearms,” he said.

Two of the arrested suspects, Joric Labrador and Benjie Rodriguez, former soldiers, earlier said a certain “Cong Teves” ordered the hit on Degamo.

The Police Regional Office (PRO7), had earlier stated that based on their information, it was Teves was the alleged mastermind in the killing of Degamo.

“The declarations made publicly earlier by one of the suspects in Gov. Degamo’s killing were information that we already acquired from the moment we arrested the four suspects six hours from the incident,” the PRO7 said in a statement.

But Teves denied the accusation during a video message and that neither he and his brother Henry were involved in the killing of Degamo.

Topacio on Thursday urged “all concerned” to “observe sobriety in their pronouncement regarding the allegations against Rep. Arnie Teves in the face of certain accusations against him in connection with the killing of Governor Roel Degamo and several other persons.”

Degamo and five others were killed while 13 others were injured in the March 4 attack conducted while the governor was distributing aid to his constituents at his residence. The death toll increased to nine the following day.

Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare on Thursday said they are looking at 16 suspects in the killing.

Catherine R. Cueto