MANILA (UPDATED) — Multiple murder cases will be filed against suspended Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. for the deaths of 3 individuals in 2019, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Friday.

Remulla said the cases would be filed before the Regional Trial Court in Manila.

“There’s a lot of evidence gathered, this took how many months, so almost four months of preliminary investigation,” Remulla said in a press conference.

Teves is being tagged in the killing of Michael Dungog, a former Negros Oriental provincial board member, who was shot on March 25, 2019 in Dumaguete City.

The suspended lawmaker will also be charged for the killing of Lester Bato, a bodyguard of a mayoral candidate on May 26, 2019; and Pacito Libron who was an alleged hitman linked to Teves.

“Ang tatlong kasong ito ay kasama sa mga bagay na nagbigay takot sa mga tao sa Negros Oriental,” Remulla said.

“Mahabang panahon na kasi na maraming natatakot dito sapagkat ang pagpatay ng mga tao sa larangan ng pulitika at anu pa mang dahilan ay napakarami talagang nagyayari,” he said.

(These 3 cases are among those that sowed terror among Negros Oriental residents. There have been many killings related to politics and various reasons.)

• Negrenses 'aggrieved' by Teves family seek help from Senate

Teves is also accused of orchestrating the March 4 bloodbath that killed Gov. Roel Degamo and 9 others.

The lawmaker, who remains overseas and was last located in Timor-Leste, was recently declared a terrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council.

• Rep. Teves, 12 others tagged as 'terrorists' for alleged role in Degamo slay

His legal counsel Ferdinand Topacio said in a statement the indictment was no surprise.

"Coming as it does in the wake of the declaration of our client as 'terrorist' by the Anti-Terrorism Council, we expect more of the same harassment to come. What else can we expect of a Justice Department whose leadership has been using the laws as a blunt instrument of persecution?" Topacio claimed.

"With our faith in our justice system undimmed by the anomaly of a few men trenching upon the criminal justice system, we shall continue to defend the rights of our client to the fullest extent, confident that God sees the truth, but waits," he alleged.