No lawyers wanted to accept wife's case vs. Comelec chair —lawyers

No law firm or lawyers would take a look at the documents Patricia Paz Bautista gathered showing the unexplained wealth her husband Commission on Elections chairperson Andres Bautista allegedly has.

Attorney Robert Beltejar, Mrs. Bautista's lawyer, said in an interview on Balitanghali on Monday that his client was rejected several times on the basis of her husband's standing in the government.

"Hindi alam ni Ginang Bautista kung anong gagawin sa mga ito. Sinubukan niyang lumapit sa napakaraming law firm, napakaraming abogado, ngunit palaging sinasabi na, 'Hindi namin pwedeng tanggapin ang kaso niyo, hindi namin pwede kayong tulungan' sapagkat ang asawa nga niya ay si Chairman Andy Bautista," Beltejar said.

"Ngayon lamang na nakahanap siya ng mga abogado na susuporta sa kanya na naliwanagan siya ang maaaring epekto nitong mga dokumento na ito," he continued.

Beltejar added that President Rodrigo Duterte was the only politician Mrs. Bautista consulted regarding this matter and denied that this was motivated by political considerations.

"Walang-walang bahid ng pulitika. Wala kaming nakausap na ibang pulitiko bukod kay Pangulo. Siya lamang at kinausap namin sapagkat alam namin na siya lamang ang makakaintindi at makakapagdirekta sa amin sa mga tamang kinauukulan," he said.

The lawyer repeated that his client, who had long heard rumors about her husband's wealth, made these documents public as a matter of clearing her conscience and bringing a possible impeachable infraction into light.

"Ang ano lang ng aming kliyente ay ilabas lahat ng ito, ilabas ang katotohanan so nakapagbigay na siya ng affidavit sa NBI at kami po ay inaantabayanan ang katotohanan," Beltejar said.

The Comelec chairperson dismissed his wife's claims earlier and cited marital problems as the reason for her complaints.

Beltejar and Attorney Jam Aniag denied this and said Mrs. Bautista filed a separate case with the Taguig City Prosecutor's Office regarding their ongoing separation. —Rie Takumi/KG, GMA News