OFFICIALS of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) may soon be subject to lifestlye checks as Sen. Grace Poe spoke on Monday about its necessity, apart from a deep probe on Comelec Chairman Andres D. Bautisa’s alleged hidden wealth of almost P1 billion.
Said allegation came from Bautista’s estranged wife, Patricia Paz, who claimed in an affidavit submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that Bautista had unexplained wealth in the form of P336 million kept in 38 local and foreign-bank accounts, P300 million worth of undisclosed real property in the Philippines and abroad, and in cold, hard cash. Patricia claimed these were not included in his husband’s 2016 statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), where Bautista only reported a net worth of P176.3 million.
Bautista has categorically denied all of his wife’s allegations in a news conference on Monday, citing extortion, blackmail and “fabricated evidence” to discredit the allegations. He maintained in a statement his 2016 SALN was “true and correct”. He also pointed fingers back at Patricia, citing “greed” and “collaborations” with a “long-time lover”, and “groups [who] promote a political agenda”.
“It has been 10 months since she stole cash, gift certificates, ATM [automated teller machine] cards and other financial documents belonging to myself and my family, many of which her lawyers embellished, doctored, or fabricated. Throughout this time, she has repeatedly attempted to extort and blackmail me using her lawyers and media contacts. And when she realized no windfall was forthcoming, she decided to file her affidavit based on fabrications and lies,” Bautista said.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II had ordered the NBI to dig deeper in the corruption and misconduct allegations through Department Order 517, which grants the bureau “authority to conduct investigation and case build-up over the alleged failure to dislose pertinent information required in the SALN of Chairman Andres D. Bautista, including possible determination of violation of antimoney laundering law and other related laws.”
The NBI is to submit a monthly report on the probe, but Poe does not want to limit the investigation on the chairman. “Such shocking revelations make a lifestyle check among high Comelec officials urgent and needed,” Poe said.
Bautista welcomes the probe and said he is prepared to face possible impeachment charges.
“As an impeachable officer, that is always part of the job, it is always a possibility. If it does happen, I will have to face it,” he said.