Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, announced the deportation of former Philippine congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr., declaring him a national security threat whose presence jeopardises the country’s international standing ahead of its accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Teves, arrested in Dili on Wednesday by immigration authorities, will be repatriated to the Philippines for overstaying without a valid visa and after Manila cancelled his passport.
The Timorese government stated Teves’ two-year asylum bid had strained bilateral relations and created “a disruptive factor” in regional stability. His presence risked portraying the nation as a refuge for fugitives, undermining efforts to combat transnational crime. The decision, effective immediately, cited “risks to public order and national security” under Timorese migration laws.
Crucially, East Timor linked the deportation to its scheduled October 2025 ASEAN membership, emphasising its duty to uphold “justice, legality, and stability” alongside regional partners. East Timor President José Ramos-Horta had earlier warned against letting the country become a “paradise for fugitives,” asserting Teves’ asylum claims were legally untenable.
Teves’ lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, contested the arrest, claiming Timor-Leste’s Court of Appeal granted a habeas corpus petition requiring authorities to produce him in court within 48 hours. However, the Philippine Department of Justice welcomed the deportation, deploying a team to facilitate repatriation.
Teves is accused of masterminding the March 2023 assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine others, an attack captured on security cameras. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. labelled the killings “purely political.”
