MANILA (UPDATE) -- The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives on Friday urged their leaders to convince Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves to face the accusations linking him to the death of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.

"Ang dapat gawin ng House of Representative leadership [ay] hikayatin siguro ang ating colleague si Cong. Arnie Teves na harapin niya yung mga allegations sa kaniya," said House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro.

(Perhaps the House of Representatives leadership should encourage our colleague Cong. Arnie Teves to face the allegations against him.)

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Castro noted that the travel clearance issued by the House of Representatives for Teves has expired.

She also called for justice for extrajudicial killings as the bloc condemned the killing of Degamo.

"Walang puwang yung ganitong mga karumal-dumal na krimen sa ating bayan," Castro said.

(These heinous crimes have no place in our nation.)

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In a statement Friday afternoon, House Speaker Martin Romualdez urged Teves to return to the country and face the allegations against him.

“I advise Rep. Arnie Teves to come back to the country as soon as possible… His travel outside the country beyond the period mentioned is no longer authorized by the House of Representatives,” he said.

“Makabubuti rin na umuwi si Cong. Arnie para harapin ang pagkakadawit ng pangalan ng kanilang pamilya sa pagkamatay ni Gov. Roel Degamo. We all want to hear his side of the story,” he added.

(It will also be good for Cong. Arnie to come home so he could face the allegations linking his family to the death of Gov. Roel Degamo.)

Earlier this week, the House adopted a resolution condoling with Degamo's bereaved loved ones while some lawmakers filed a resolution seeking a congressional probe into Degamo's killing.

Teves on Monday said he received information that he would be pinned down for Degamo's assassination. He said he and his clan had nothing to do with the killing.

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The lawmaker's brother, Pryde Henry Teves, was unseated by Degamo after the Supreme Court declared him last month the rightful winner of the contest for the Negros Oriental governorship.

The police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Tuesday filed murder complaints against Rep. Teves and several others for the death of three people in 2019.