DILI-Arnolfo Teves Jr., a politician and fugitive citizen of the Philippines, proposed. The President of the Republic of Timor-Leste, Jose Ramos Horta, indicated his disapproval and intended to send Teves Jr. back to the Philippines.
“It is not possible for Arnolfo Teves Jr. to get political asylum in Timor-Leste. Interpol issued him a warrant to return to the Philippines. Timor-Leste is required to abide by the Interpol detention notice,” said Horta on Monday, March 3, 2005, at his office in Dili.
The head of state said that if Timor-Leste disregards the Interpol warranty warning, it will have consequences for Timor-Leste’s potential membership in ASEAN.
Horta said that if Timor-Leste disregards the Interpol warranty warning, it will have consequences for Timor-Leste’s potential membership in ASEAN.
“I think the family of the fugitive Arnolfo Teves Jr., who asked for political asylum, is okay. Arnolfo Teves Jr. got a red notice from Interpol because Interpol had enough information to bring the man (Arnolfo Teves Jr.) into the criminal case.”
According to Horta, no more and no less, because the Philippines is a democratic state like Timor-Leste, there is no reason to ask for political asylum, unlike people from North Korea who are asking for it so quickly that it has to be processed.
“Yes, Timor-Leste is very active in defending human rights. I believe the Philippines is also a democratic state with an independent power of law, otherwise, the Philippines would have the death penalty. Then Timor-Leste should be careful to deport and expel anyone who enters Timor. Fear of the man returning, then he could get the death penalty, so Timor-Leste should be careful, but there are no such cases in the Philippines.”
Horta added, that he had never received a letter of asylum from Arnolfo Teves Jr. to seek political asylum from the Timor-Leste government and that the decision to grant asylum was not in his jurisdiction.
