SIX commissioners of the Commission on Elections on Thursday urged Chairman Andres Bautista to take a leave of absence or to resign over allegations of ill-gotten wealth.
At a news conference in Quezon City, Commissioner Arthur Lim said Bautista must take a a leave or quit the Comelec because, given his problems, “he could no longer perform his duties well as chairman of a constitutional body.”
“I would like to emphasize very strongly that when we came out to speak about this, it does not mean we believe he is guilty. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. I know he can defend himself and take legal remedies,” he told reporters.
Lim was joined by the five other commissioners—Christian Robert Lim, Al Parreño, Luie Tito Guia, Ma. Rowena Amelia Guanzon and Sheriff Abas.
Lim, however, said none of the problems arising from Bautista’s situation affected the integrity of the May 2016 automated elections.
“Regarding the Smartmatic and 2016 election, don’t worry. The election was clean and generally peaceful. The election was beyond question,” he said, referring to the accusations of defeated vice presidential bet Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that said Smartmatic changed the server script without proper authority.
Commissioner Christian Robert Lim said the Comelec en banc will have to resolve the leadership vacuum should Bautista take a leave or quit.
“We have to vote as a majority. We are six. We need four [votes],” he told reporters. In the meantime, he added, business must go on as usual at Comelec.
Arthur Lim said Bautista left Wednesday’s budget hearing in Congress so he could take his children to a guidance counsellor.
He said when Bautista left, the House of Representatives threatened to give the Comelec a P1 budget, but they were able to convince the lawmakers to reset the budget hearing.
“The chairman is a good person. But we have to set aside his goodness from work. He gave priority to his children. I would also do the same thing if I am in his shoes. Family is first,” he added.
“An impeachment complaint has already been filed against him duly endorsed by three members of Congress, hence, it will now go through the process of hearing and voting. The possibility of impeachment looms. If impeached, he will have to stand trial before the Senate. Before this, he and his wife have filed charges and counter-charges against each other. The grounds cited in the impeachment complaint as well as the accusations that have been hurled between the spouses are utterly serious and partake of possible criminal liability. The effects and consequences of the impeachment and conviction by the Senate acting as impeachment court will be life-changing, if not catastrophic. Newspaper reports have it that the Bureau of Internal Revenue and other agencies will conduct their own investigations even as the Senate committee on finance is already on the move,” the commissioners’ two-page statement read.
“Unfortunately, Chairman Bautista has not made good on his promise that he would inform us soonest on his course of action of either a leave of absence or resignation. More than two weeks have elapsed since then.”
Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas said the House would most likely attend to the impeachment complaint against Bautista next month, after it finishes its budget hearings.
He said Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has 10 days to investigate the complaint, after which the House committee on rules, which Fariñas heads, will refer it to the House committee on justice to decide on the form and substance.
Reps. Harry Roque of Kabayan party-list, Abraham Tolentino of Cavite and Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu endorsed the complaint.
Paras accused Bautista of betrayal of public trust and culpable violations of the Constitution for his alleged failure to declare his true wealth in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth as exposed by his estranged wife, Patricia Paz.
The former lawmaker, who is a lawyer, also pressed for Bautista’s ouster for alleged graft and corruption for allegedly receiving commissions from Divina Law Offices which served as the legal counsel of Venezuelan election technology supplier and Comelec’s biggest contractor Smartmatic.
Bautista earlier denied the allegations even as he said he said he will face impeachment complaints to vindicate himself.
Bautista attended Thursday’s budget deliberation conducted by the House committee on appropriations to defend the poll body’s proposed P16 billion budget for next year.
The committee, chaired by Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles earlier deferred the hearing for the Comelec budget for 2018 due to Bautista’s absence.
On the sidelines of the budget hearing Thursday, Bautista said he has considered all options—either to resign or take a leave of absence—”to protect the interest of my family and the interest of Comelec.”
Bautista said he has yet to read the 23-page impeachment complaint filed against him.
“Like I said before, that will be explained at the right time and place,” Bautista said.
Bautista said he was ready to face impeachment, but also said he was willing to resign if the President asks him to go.
“I will not cling to this position and if the President thinks I have to go, [I have] no problem with that,” he said. With PNA