Timor-Leste sets conditions on Teves deportation - NBI

Timor-Leste has set conditions before allowing the deportation of expelled lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr., according to National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago.

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Santiago said the Timorese government included a requirement in the certificate of handover mandating that Teves be treated humanely and not imprisoned for more than 40 years.

"As you can see, they want us to guarantee that his life imprisonment will not exceed 40 years," Santiago said in Filipino.

"The condition that it won't exceed 40 years—that's actually how our law is," he added.

Santiago explained that under Article 70 of the Revised Penal Code, the three-fold rule limits the total time a convict can serve, even for multiple charges. The maximum is capped at 40 years, regardless of the number or severity of convictions.