The Department of Justice asked Timor Leste authorities Thursday to immediately extradite or deport former Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo Teves, Jr. following reports of bribery involving a member of the Criminal Investigation Police. 

MANILA — The Department of Justice asked Timor Leste authorities on Thursday to immediately extradite or deport former Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo Teves, Jr. following reports of bribery involving a member of the Criminal Investigation Police.

In a statement, the DOJ said there were reports that the son of Teves, Jr. supposed offered a bribe to a PCIC member amounting to $2,000 or over P114,000 in exchange for "security" inside and outside Becora Prison.

Teves is facing multiple counts of murder, frustrated murder and attempted murder for the death of former Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others.

He is in pre-trial detention at Becora Prison following his arrest in March by Timorese authorities acting on an International Police red notice.

“As a result, calls for the immediate extradition or deportation of Teves has intensified in Timor Leste to prove the international community that the country does not harbor international fugitives,” the DOJ said in the statement.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla reiterated his call that Teves should face his cases in the Philippines.

“Let us stop playing hide and seek with the law, one cannot evade accountability for eternity. Prolonging your liabilities with the rule of law only worsens your predicament," Remulla said.

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In a statement, Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand Topacio refused to comment on the alleged bribery incident but he said the information of the DOJ was mere hearsay.

“Such being the case, I also cannot comment on the statement of the Secretary of Justice based on such hearsay, and considering that most of the opinions of the sitting DOJ secretary have been proven to be erroneous. Thanks for reaching out,” Topacio said.

The DOJ said the information came from an article from a local website in Timor Leste, hatutan.com.

The DOJ noted that a translated version of the article reveals that a PCIC member requested $2,000 from Teves’ son for “maximum security” for the former lawmaker.