A TIMOR-LESTE court is still evaluating the request of the Philippines and the International Police (Interpol) for custody over expelled Negros Oriental congressman and murder suspect Arnolfo Teves Jr.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Medardo de Lemos said in a media briefing Monday that they would have to wait for the decision of the court before they could bring Teves back to the Philippines.

"They have a process in Timor-Leste. They are still evaluating our request," de Lemos said. "We respect all the processes of all countries where the Philippines is a requesting party."

De Lemos said they were informed that the court process would take a minimum of seven and a maximum of 14 days to be completed.

Teves, a fugitive from the law, was arrested while playing golf at the Top Golf Driving Range in Timor-Leste on March 21.

He was tagged as the mastermind in the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and five other people on March 4, 2023.

The former lawmaker is also facing multiple murder charges in Negros Oriental for a series of killings that took place in various parts of the province in 2019.

In addition, Teves was designated as a terrorist in August 2023 by the Anti-Terrorism Council and has been the subject of a red notice, which is a request for law enforcement worldwide to locate and arrest a person pending his extradition, surrender or similar legal action.

The NBI took the lead in investigating Degamo's assassination and later filed charges against him and other suspects. It started coordinating with Timor-Leste police and the Interpol as early as March 1.

On March 21, de Lemos and a six-member NBI team traveled to Timor-Leste to implement the red notice issued by Interpol against Teves in February.

"What was agreed upon is that we will submit all the necessary documents that will support the NBI's position on why a red notice has been issued against Teves," de Lemos said.

Among the documents submitted by the NBI to Timor-Leste officials were the warrant of arrest for Teves, the court order for the cancellation of his passport and certified true copies of the resolution issued by the Anti-Terrorism Council designating the former lawmaker as a terrorist.

Two hours after they landed in Timor-Leste, they were informed by local authorities that Teves had been arrested.

De Lemos said they requested a picture of the person who was arrested to verify if it was Teves.

"The first day was very difficult for us. We expected the picture would be provided to us or that we would be allowed to take a picture of the person they arrested as proof of life. We waited all day," he said. "We felt that we were being given a hard time."

This prompted them to seek an audience with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta.

De Lemos said they talked with Horta for nearly an hour on the second day and thanked him for acting swiftly on the arrest of Teves.

They also sought permission to take a photograph of the person arrested to make sure it was Teves.

When they returned to the detention center, they were finally allowed to take a picture of the person arrested, whom they later confirmed as Teves.

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