MANILA (3rd UPDATE) — Expelled congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. has been formally charged with the murder of late Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, the Department of Justice confirmed on Saturday.

“Cases for murder, frustrated murder and attempted murder have been filed against Arnolfo Teves Jr… before the RTC of Manila,” said Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano, spokesperson of the DOJ.

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The case stems from the killing of Degamo and 9 others in one of his properties in the town of Pamplona in Negros Oriental on March 4.

Teves is facing other murder cases due to the killing of Michael Dungog, a former Negros Oriental provincial board member, who was shot on March 25, 2019 in Dumaguete City, as well as 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.

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“As for the 2019 murder cases, the case has been filed already in Bayawan, but we are seeking the transfer of those cases in Manila para dito na lahat gagawin,” Clavano told reporters in a forum in Quezon City.

The DOJ is “hopeful” the court will release an arrest warrant against the former Negrense lawmaker “in a few days,” he said.

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““We’re hoping that the judge will find probable cause for both cases,” he said.

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A source from DOJ's National Prosecution Service confirmed that Teves and 4 others were charged with 10 counts of murder and several counts of frustrated and attempted murder over the killing Degamo and 9 others in March.

Charges were filed on August 18 before the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51, according to court documents.

As a procedural matter, prosecutors amended the existing information or criminal charges already filed against the other suspects in the killing of Degamo.

The 4 others charged with Teves over Degamo's killing are:

• Capt. Lloyd Garcia II - alleged to be the pilot of the chopper
• Nigel Electona - who was designated as a terrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council along with Teves
• Angelo Palagtiw
• "Gee Ann"

Another respondent was not charged due to insufficiency of evidence.

Electona's legal counsel Michael Mella said that the development was “not a surprise.”

“The moment they arbitrarily and baselessly declared Nigel as a terrorist, they already preempted the resolution of murder charge,” Mella told ABS-CBN News in a text message.

“But, by the end of the day the mendacity of the charges against my client will be unfolded,” he said.

Sought for comment, Teves' lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said he has not read the DOJ resolution indicting his client.

Garcia’s camp, on the other hand, said they have also yet to receive a resolution from the Justice Department.

“We haven't yet received any resolution from the DOJ to that effect, so far,” Garcia’s legal counsel Paris Real said in a separate text message.

“We'll take the necessary legal remedy as soon as we shall have read the resolution,” he added.

ABS-CBN News has also reached out to the lawyers of the others charged.

Eleven other suspects have been previously charged over the murder of Degamo and 9 others, including Marvin Miranda who supposedly acted as Teves' co-mastermind.

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