Dismissed Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. is set to return to the Philippines on Thursday after boarding a Philippine Air Force plane from Timor-Leste around 1:00 PM.
The return follows the Timor-Leste government’s decision to deport Teves, whom they declared a “threat to national security.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) dispatched a team to handle Teves’ repatriation and ensure proper custody upon arrival.
Teves’ deportation was triggered by his arrest on Tuesday night by immigration authorities at his residence in Dili, Timor-Leste.
He is facing multiple charges of murder and frustrated murder under the Revised Penal Code and is wanted in connection with the 2023 killing of Governor Roel Degamo, widely known as the Pamplona massacre.
In August 2023, Teves was unanimously expelled from the House of Representatives for prolonged absence and disorderly conduct, becoming the first lawmaker removed from office since 1987.
His seat remained vacant until May 2025, when Janice Degamo, wife of the slain governor, won the election to become the new district representative.