Manila court grants Teves Jr. P120,000 bail for Lester Bato killing case

A Manila court granted former Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. P120,000 bail for his temporary liberty in connection with the killing of Lester Bato.

The Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 12 cited the absence of qualifying circumstances in the killing of Bato, a bodyguard for a Basay mayoral candidate, who was killed on May 26, 2019.

However, Teves will remain detained as he faces separate murder charges for the death of Governor Roel Degamo and 10 others.

Teves was arrested in Timor-Leste where he was seeking asylum for nearly two years, and was brought back to the Philippines on May 29.

He is currently under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) at its facility inside the New Bilibid Prison.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it will appeal the court's decision to grant Teves bail.

The DOJ stated that allowing Teves' release would pose a grave and imminent danger to the public and emphasized that justice must prevail for the victims, their families, and the Filipino people.

The department remains steadfast in exhausting legal remedies to oppose unwarranted bail applications and ensure accountability for all charges against Teves.