Bautista: I can let go of chairmanship, but not my Comelec family

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista on Monday said he can let go of his position easily, but will find it difficult to part with the employees who have shown him genuine warmth and support over the last two years.

Chair. Bautista addresses Comelec employees https://t.co/Driizio8GW

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) August 14, 2017

Bautista gave the remark during a flag-raising ceremony at the Palacio del Gobernador in Manila a week after his estranged wife Patricia accused him of accumulating P1 billion in "ill-gotten" wealth.

Bautista says giving up position is easy, but giving up Comelec family is difficult;employees gave him "genuine" support in 2 yrs of service pic.twitter.com/fO5CdFqS8f

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) August 14, 2017

"Hindi naman mahirap na ibigay yung posisyon or bumaba sa posisyon, hindi naman mahirap yun. Ang problema ko talaga na mawala ang Comelec family mula sa aking buhay," Bautista said.

"Kasi talaga, over the years, you have shown sincere, genuine care and affection. And perhaps that's what's also making my thought process difficult," he continued.

In the same speech, Bautista said he is keeping his head aloft despite the ordeal between him and his wife taking a toll on his family.

"Maraming interes na nandito, iyong kapakanan ng aking pamilya at siyempre iyong interes ng Comelec," he explained.

"Siguro, ang gusto ko na lang hingin talaga ay ang patuloy na sumama kayo sa aking pagdarasal para nga malaman ko kung ano ang dapat kong gawin dahil sa sitwasyong ito."

Bautista said he is making his judgements with guidance from peers and figures such as Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

"Hindi naman kaila sa inyo, at sabi n'yo nga, siguro ito na nga ang pinakamalaking hamon na hinaharap ko at marami namang tao na nagpapahiwatig ng suporta," he shared.

"In fact, pati si Cardinal Tagle ay tumawag sa akin, at ako rin ay humingi ng tulong para nga maging tama ang aking discernment kung anong dapat gawin," Bautista continued.

The Comelec chairman did not speak with the media but said in a brief exchange with Tina Panganiban-Perez on News To Go that he will have to keep on "smiling."

Atty. Nesrin Cali, head of legal, said Comelec Chair. Baurista is on official business and is unavailable for comments. pic.twitter.com/o25IwlHHJ3

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) August 14, 2017

"Siyempre naman. Pero nakakataba din ng puso iyong mga ginagawa ng mga empleyado," Bautista said.

Employees of the Comelec's information technology department donated P80 each to print the T-shirts that they used to perform a few dance routines during the flag-raising rites.

Luisa Tolentino, IT Executive Assistant IV, said they will support Bautista and whoever is in his position through and through.

"We support, kahit sino naman siguro kung ganyan ang pinagdadaanan, bibigyan mo ng suporta," Tolentino said. "Chairman, andito lang kami."

Bautista and his brother Dr. Martin Bautista said they are willing to waive their bank secrecy privileges to prove their innocence of the alleged $1.7-million joint investment that Patricia alleges they have.

Apart from a pending impeachment complaint by a former congressman, Bautista also faces a probe by the National Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Internal Revenue.

He may also face an investigation by the Anti-Money Laundering Council as Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aquirre II ordered the NBI to ask the council to look into his accounts.

On his part, Bautista has filed charges of qualified theft, extortion, robbery, and grave coercion and one other charge against his wife Patricia at the Taguig Prosecutor's Office. —KG/ALG, GMA News