A Manila court has entered a not guilty plea against former Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr.
This is related to the murder case against Teves in 2019.
Teves was adamant about entering a plea during the arraignments at the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 12.
According to his lawyer, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, Teves attended the arraignment remotely through videoconferencing from his detention cell at Metro Manila District Jail Annex 2, located in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig.
Teves was scheduled for arraignment on June 30 but was unable to appear after being confined to the Philippine General Hospital for an appendectomy, so the pre-trial hearing was set for July 29.
Teves initially did not enter a plea to the illegal possession of firearms and explosives case and the terrorism financing case filed against him by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 77.
The former lawmaker is accused of masterminding the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others in March 2023.
