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Advocates Philippines
Teves Acquitted In 2019 Murder Case; Remains Jailed Over Other Charges
Photo credit: DOJ
Former Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. has been acquitted in a 2019 murder case after a Manila court ruled that prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence to warrant his conviction.
In a 35-page order dated January 5, 2026, Regional Trial Court Branch 15 in Manila, presided over by Judge Eduardo Ramon R. Reyes, granted the demurrer to evidence filed by Teves and his two co-accused — Richard Cuadra, also known as Boy Cuadra, and Rolando Pinili, also known as Inday.
A demurrer to evidence is a motion asserting that the prosecution’s evidence is insufficient to sustain a conviction even if left unrebutted. In granting the motion, the court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case, saying it would violate the accused’s constitutional presumption of innocence to require them to present defense evidence.
The court ordered the release of Teves and his co-accused from custody unless they are being held for other lawful causes.
The case stemmed from the 2019 killing of former Negros Oriental provincial board member Miguel Lopez Dungog in Dumaguete City, which authorities had earlier linked to Teves and his alleged associates.
Teves’ legal team welcomed the ruling, calling it proof that the case was politically motivated. His lawyer, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, said the acquittal showed that the charges were meant to harass and persecute his client, adding that the decision demonstrated how the justice system ultimately corrects itself.
Despite the acquittal, Teves remains in detention, as he continues to face multiple other criminal cases, including murder and related charges arising from the March 2023 attack that killed former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine others. He is also facing other separate complaints, including alleged violations involving firearms and explosives.
Teves was arrested in Timor-Leste in 2025 and later deported to the Philippines, where he has remained in custody while his other cases proceed.
The acquittal has drawn mixed reactions, with supporters saying it vindicates Teves after years of legal battles, while critics and victims’ families maintain that justice remains incomplete as long as other cases remain unresolved.
The Department of Justice has said it will continue prosecuting the remaining cases against Teves, while his legal team has vowed to keep fighting to clear his name in all pending charges.
In a 35-page order dated January 5, 2026, Regional Trial Court Branch 15 in Manila, presided over by Judge Eduardo Ramon R. Reyes, granted the demurrer to evidence filed by Teves and his two co-accused — Richard Cuadra, also known as Boy Cuadra, and Rolando Pinili, also known as Inday.
A demurrer to evidence is a motion asserting that the prosecution’s evidence is insufficient to sustain a conviction even if left unrebutted. In granting the motion, the court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case, saying it would violate the accused’s constitutional presumption of innocence to require them to present defense evidence.
The court ordered the release of Teves and his co-accused from custody unless they are being held for other lawful causes.
The case stemmed from the 2019 killing of former Negros Oriental provincial board member Miguel Lopez Dungog in Dumaguete City, which authorities had earlier linked to Teves and his alleged associates.
Teves’ legal team welcomed the ruling, calling it proof that the case was politically motivated. His lawyer, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, said the acquittal showed that the charges were meant to harass and persecute his client, adding that the decision demonstrated how the justice system ultimately corrects itself.
Despite the acquittal, Teves remains in detention, as he continues to face multiple other criminal cases, including murder and related charges arising from the March 2023 attack that killed former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine others. He is also facing other separate complaints, including alleged violations involving firearms and explosives.
Teves was arrested in Timor-Leste in 2025 and later deported to the Philippines, where he has remained in custody while his other cases proceed.
The acquittal has drawn mixed reactions, with supporters saying it vindicates Teves after years of legal battles, while critics and victims’ families maintain that justice remains incomplete as long as other cases remain unresolved.
The Department of Justice has said it will continue prosecuting the remaining cases against Teves, while his legal team has vowed to keep fighting to clear his name in all pending charges.
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Jan 16, 2026
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