Teves enters 'not guilty' plea for 2019 Dungog murder
The Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 15 entered a 'not guilty' plea on behalf of former Negros Oriental Representative Arnie Teves during his arraignment on Tuesday.
Teves personally appeared before the court weeks after undergoing an appendectomy last month and cited legal complications related to his arrest and repatriation from Timor-Leste despite a writ of habeas corpus issued by a Timorese court.
Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, Teves' lawyer, stated that Teves is protesting the manner in which he was returned to the Philippines by the government.
The case involves the 2019 murder of Negros Oriental provincial board member Miguel Dungog, previously dismissed but later revived due to political motivations according to Topacio.
Teves also faces multiple murder cases and charges related to illegal possession of firearms and explosives under separate terrorism-related cases in other courts.
This story was generated by AI to help you understand the key points. For more detailed coverage, please see the news articles from trusted media outlets below.