House suspends Teves for 60 days, Romualdez caretaker of lawmaker's district --- MANILA TIMES

THE House of Representatives has adopted its ethics committee's recommendation to suspend Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. for 60 days. Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez will be the legislative caretaker of Teves' district from May 31, 2023 to July 30, 2023. The committee found "that the unauthorized absences of Rep. Arnie Teves Jr., aggravated by his act of seeking political asylum in Timor-Leste, resulted in his failure to perform his duties as House member under Section 7, Rule 2 and violated the code of conduct as set forth in Sec[tion] 142, paragraph a and b, Rule 20 of the rules of the House of Representatives," Coop Natcco Rep. Felimon Espares said at the plenary. The committee recommended the new suspension "for violation of" Sec[tion] 142 (a) and (b) of the House rules and "for disorderly behavior." The House also adopted the committee's recommendation to forfeit his committee memberships. Over 280 lawmakers voted in the affirmative to adopt the recommendations in the committee's report. One abstained. The House Committee on Ethics and Privileges made its recommendations after investigating Teves's "continuing absences" after the 60-day suspension imposed on him lapsed earlier this month. The House had granted Teves a travel clearance for a personal foreign trip covering the period Feb. 28 to March 9, 2023. He filed a request for an extension up to April 7, 2023. Then, he applied for a two-month leave of absence because of "very grave security threat." On March 22, 2023, the House adopted the committee's recommendation to suspend Teves for 60 days "for disorderly behavior." The committee had made the recommendation over "his absence" after his House-issued travel authority expired. The suspension ended on May 22, 2023. In a virtual press conference on Monday, Teves said that the suspension (the first one) was "hindi tama (not right)." Teves was linked to the March 2023 killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and has denied involvement in the killing.

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