January 17, 2026 – Manila, Philippines. The Department of Justice (DOJ) clarified that the acquittal of expelled Negros Oriental lawmaker Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. in a 2019 Dumaguete murder case has no bearing on the ongoing trial over the assassination of Governor Roel Degamo.

Teves was acquitted by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 15 earlier this month after the court granted his demurrer to evidence, ruling that prosecutors failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt in connection with the Dumaguete slay. The decision led to his release from custody along with two co-accused.

DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez stressed that the ruling is unrelated to the Degamo case. “The acquittal in the Dumaguete case does not in any way affect the Degamo case. These are separate and independent proceedings,” Martinez said.

Degamo’s widow, Rep. Janice Degamo, also issued a statement underscoring that the acquittal only pertains to the 2019 Dumaguete case. “We clarify that the recent news about the acquittal of former Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. refers to a separate 2019 murder case in Dumaguete City and has no connection whatsoever to the multiple murder cases arising from the Pamplona, Negros Oriental massacre on March 4, 2023,” she said.

Teves remains accused of masterminding the Pamplona attack that killed Governor Degamo and nine others, and injured several more. He faces multiple murder and terrorism charges in connection with the incident, which continues to be one of the most closely watched trials in the country.

Legal experts note that while the acquittal may strengthen Teves’ defense narrative, it does not absolve him of responsibility in the Degamo case, which is proceeding independently before the courts.

Acquitted Once, Still on Trial

Arnolfo Teves Jr.’s acquittal in a 2019 Dumaguete murder case ends one case, not all cases. Courts rule on evidence presented, not on reputations or patterns assumed by the public.

The DOJ is right to draw a hard line. The Degamo assassination case stands on its own facts, witnesses, and burden of proof. Legal outcomes do not carry momentum across separate crimes.

Confusing acquittal with clearance risks distorting justice. One prosecutorial failure does not erase other allegations, nor does it deliver closure to other victims. The question remains. Will Filipinos learn to read rulings narrowly, or keep mistaking procedure for innocence?