BY ASHZEL HACHERO and VICTOR REYES
THREE persons arrested in a recent raid on a sugar mill owned by former Negros Oriental governor Pryde Henry Teves are claiming they were pressured by the police to tag Teves and his brother, suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves, as the ones who ordered them to bury firearms and ammunition seized during the operation, their lawyer said yesterday.
Michael Mella said his clients — security agency owner Nigel Electona, security guard Jeson Baillo Timtim and firetruck driver Dionilo Mayagma Jr. — are planning to file a complaint before the Commission on Human Rights against the policemen.
“Yesterday, I was with Nigel, Dionilo and Jeson and they expressed their fear, from Day 1 of their arrest, they were being pressured to `admit’ that Congressman Teves and his brother (former) Governor Pryde ordered them to bury the firearms recovered during the raid,” Mella said in mixed Filipino and English during an ambush interview at the Department of Justice after the resumption of the preliminary hearing on the complaint of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition against Pryde Teves.
The Teves brothers are being linked to the March 4 killing of Negros Oriental governor Ruel Degamo in Pamplona town.
Former governor Teves maintained he is not the owner of the firearms, explosives and ammunition found at the sugar mill in Bayawan City Negros Oriental that was raided by the police last Friday and searched for days.
“Definitely not. We are in the business of producing sugar, we are in the business of farming, we’re not in the business of guns” Teves told a television interview.
Operatives of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group swooped down at the 10-hectare sugar mill which Pryde Teves owns, based on a search warrant issued by a Mandaue City court. The mill is within a 52-hectare property owned by HDJ Bayawan Agri-Ventures Corps of which Teves is the president.
Policemen seized 15 rifles and handguns, 9,615 assorted ammunition, and P18 million in cash, among others, last Friday. Subsequent searches resulted in the recovery of more firearms, ammunition and several improvised explosive devices.
Some of the firearms and the cash seized last Friday were found by the policemen inside a parked van.
‘REMAIN SILENT’
Mella said his three clients not to give in to pressure and to just remain silent.
Asked who was pressuring the three, Mella said he assumed it to be the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) as that is where they are detained.
“I assume it’s the CIDG and those who arrested them during the raid. So, I cannot mention the names but more or less kung sino man ang nag aresto sa kanila,” Mella said, adding that they will go to the CHR to “convey their complaints about the pressure and harassment.”
“There’s no physical harassment for sure. It may be more on psychological as well as emotional pressure,” he added.
Mella said the three told them police officers “talked to them four times.”
“Only for that day (Tuesday). We are not counting the previous days starting from when they were arrested,” he added.
Mella said Electona told him that “several malicious cases” will be filed against him and the others if they do not cooperate with the police.
He added the three were told they could be discharged from the case and be taken under the government’s Witness Protection Program if they just cooperate.
Mella’s co-counsel Roberto Diokno echoed his statements, as he also asked why the three were brought to Manila when the alleged offense took place in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental.
Diokno said this added further pressure on their clients.
The lawyer of suspended Rep Teves, Ferdinand Topacio, called on Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos to investigate the alleged pressure and not issue a “mere denial.”
Rep Teves has denied any involvement in the Degamo killing. He has not returned to the country despite the lapse of his travel authority, prompting the House to suspend him.
VAN
Former governor Teves, in the TV interview, said the parked van where some of the firearms and cash were found, was sent to the sugar mill compound.
“It (van) came from the resort owned by my brother about 20 kilometers away,” he said.
“It (van) it came inside March 10 and after they parked within the shop, everybody assumed it was to fix something, but after they parked it, they left it,” said Teves without naming who parked the van.
The other firearms and ammunition, he said, are owned by the security agency he hired to guard the sugar mill.
The security agency is owned by Electona.
A week before the raid, Teves said, he was informed by a security officer of the security agency that the agency has failed to renew its juridical license to own and possess firearm (JLTOPF).
Teves said he told the security officer even if the security agency has a license to operate, their firearms are considered loose because their JLTOPF is not renewed.
“Make sure you surrender that or you dispose it or destroy because its dangerous, that’s what told (the security officer),” said Teves.
As to the other firearms, ammunition and explosives, the former governor said those were dug up outside the fenced sugar mill compound. Nevertheless, he said, the digging was done within the 52-hectare of HDJ Bayawan Agri-Venture Corp.
PASTURE AREA
Teves said he is trying to find out how the firearms, explosives and ammunition ended up there. He said there are residential houses about 200 to 300 meters from the area.
“These IEDs (improvised explosive devices), I also want to get to the bottom of this, I want to know how it arrived there,” he said.
Teves said he would never possess an IED, noting that an IED explosion almost claimed his life. He was referring to the IED explosion at the House of Representatives at Batasan Complex in Quezon in November 2007 that led to the death of six people, including Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar. Teves and several others were injured in the attack.
“I think this is very serious. Look at me, I was a victim of an IED explosion which cost the lives (of six people) and almost cost me mine. I would never in my conscience try to get near an IED or play with one,” he said.
“Had I known that there’s IED there, I’ll be the first one to have it removed because that area is a pasture land where people bring their goats and their cows and pasture them day-end, after the noon…That’s dangerous, I myself, I almost lost my life because of an IED explosion, I have suffered enough,” he said.
Teves reiterated that he going to cooperate in the investigation. He said he has informed the justice department that they are free to look into his phone and bank records to hasten the probe.
Teves said he is also making himself available for investigation if he would be implicated in the Degamo killing.
Police has said that Electona, who police said is the chief security at Teves’ sugar, played a big role in the killing of Degamo, particularly in the planning and execution of the plan.
Recently, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Rep Teves is “being considered” as among two to three masterminds behind the attack.
“The only think that I can do is to submit myself to the investigation…I’m making myself available to this (investigation),” the former governor said.
“My only hope is for the investigation to be exhaustive so I can be cleared through all my dealings, my transactions… Hopefully, there should be enough information that will clear my name and my direct family,” he said.
PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo welcomed Teves statement that he was going to answer the charges against him.
“What we can say is this is a welcome development, it’s good that ex-governor Pryde Henry Teves has expressed his desire to answer the charges against him,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo said charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition were lodged against Teves, Electona, Timtim and Mayagma.
“Mr Pryde Henry Teves was included in the charge since he is the subject of the search warrant. There will be a preliminary investigation for the complaints against him,” said Fajardo.
