“THIS latest act on the part of the government against our client, Rep. Arnolfo Teves, comes as no surprise.”
Thus said lawyer Ferdinand Topacio adding that since day one of the Degamo killing, the government has mobilized all the resources at its disposal — starting with immediately tagging Teves as the mastermind thereof without investigation, conducting illegal searches on his properties, laying siege to his powers and prerogatives as member of the House, embarking on a massive media campaign to discredit him and prejudice the minds of the public against him, among others — all in an obsessive attempt to blame him for a crime at the expense of his Constitutional rights.
Topacio added “The agencies of government, having eggs on their faces due to the recantation of all key witnesses, lack of evidence against Rep. Teves, the public backlash against his obvious persecution, and the embarrassing failure of the authorities in bullying him into returning to the country in spite of grave and serious threats to his life, has expectedly weaponized the Anti-Terror Act by using it for the purpose for which it was not designed. One only has to read the reasoned decision of the Supreme Court on this matter to know this to be true.”
In a statement, the lawyer said it is thus a sad day for the Rule of Law in this country, and a shocking reminder that even under constitutional and republican regime, the return to a government of men and not of laws can always ensue, especially for those targeted for destruction by the present dispensation.
“This development should send shivers down the spine of every citizen, for the liberties of none are safe unless the liberties of all are protected,” he said.
