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Senate orders arrest of ex-Comelec chair Bautista


The Senate has ordered the arrest of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Andres Bautista over his non-attendance of the probe into his alleged ill-gotten wealth.

Senator Francis Escudero, chair of the Senate banks, financial institutions, and currencies committee, so confirmed in a text message.

"Just learned it was signed last Wednesday," Escudero told GMA News Online.

He said the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms will try to serve the arrest order by coordinating with law enforcement agencies, such as the Bureau of Immigration, after which he will "wait for it to be returned, served or unserved, and will submit a correspondent report to the committee."

The senator has earlier said he will ask Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III to issue a warrant against Bautista after the ex-poll chief repeatedly failed to attend hearings on his alleged P1-billion unexplained wealth.

He has also been cited in contempt for his non-attendance at the hearing.

Bautista, however, has asked that the subpoena for him to attend the hearing to be recalled, claiming he has never received an invitation as he is abroad.

He claimed he has been out of the country since November last year “to explore professional opportunities and, more importantly, seek assistance for certain medical challenges.”

It was Bautista's estranged wife, Patricia, who alleged that the resigned Comelec chief had amassed almost P1 billion in unexplained wealth, along with over P300 million in 35 bank accounts with the Luzon Development Bank.

He announced his resignation, effective by the end of 2017, in October last year. On the same day, the House of Representatives voted to impeach him. —NB, GMA News

 

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