The lawyer of fugitive Arnie Teves announced that the former lawmaker has been released from detention in Timor Leste.
In a statement, Attorney Ferdie Topacio said that Teves has been freed from the Becora Prison in Dili, Timor Leste.
“Rep. Arnoldo Teves was released from preventive detention pending his extradition trial, my Timor Leste (TL) counterparts inform me, because the request for extradition by the Philippines Government was made out of time and in a manner that is not sanctioned by practice and customary international law,” said Topacio.
“In other words, our government ‘screwed up.’ Thus, his imprisonment was declared illegal,” he added.
The Department of Justice said Teves’ release was quite improbable but they will check with Timor Leste authorities.
“The road to justice for Mr. Teves will be long and hard, bloody and painful but we will never surrender, to paraphrase Winston Churchill,” said Topacio.
