Poe: Allegations vs. Comelec chief may put 2016 election results in doubt

Allegations of ill-gotten wealth against Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Andres Bautista may put the 2016 election results in doubt, Senator Grace Poe said Monday.

Poe, one of the presidential candidates who lost to President Rodrigo Duterte, however clarified that she has no personal agenda in her remark, saying Duterte clearly won the polls with a huge lead.

“Para sa 'kin, walang kwestyon. Panalo ang ating Pangulo dahil napakalayo ng agwat namin. Para sa 'kin, wala akong personal na makukuha. Pero maraming ibang pwesto ang maaaring ma-kwestyon dahil mas dikit ang laban,” Poe said in an interview.

Asked whether she was referring to the vice-presidential race, Poe said: “Hindi lamang doon, kung hindi sa iba’t ibang posisyon. Alalahanin natin na hindi lamang national position ito pati sa iba’t ibang probinsya. 'Yun ang maaaring magkaroon ng pagdududa.”

Poe challenged Bautista to prove that the allegations of his wife, Patricia Paz Bautista, are wrong.

Mrs. Bautista claimed to have discovered nearly P1 billion in undeclared assets of the Comelec chief, including a condominium unit in San Francisco, California.

The Comelec chair has denied his wife’s allegations, saying the latter was “motivated by greed” and that she allowed herself to be used by "certain people and groups to promote a political agenda designed to cast aspersions on me and the Comelec's work in the 2016 elections."

The NBI has already been ordered by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to look into the allegations of ill-gotten wealth against Bautista, a development welcomed by the Comelec chief himself.

Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III echoed the sentiment of Poe, as he emphasized the need to conduct a Senate probe on the issue.

“We must [investigate]. Otherwise, the results of the 2016 elections might have a cloud of doubt hanging over it,” he said in a text message.

Sotto has filed a resolution calling for a blue ribbon committee probe on the allegations against Bautista, and his possible accountability in allegedly violating Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Poe, who supported Sotto’s call for investigation, meanwhile questioned why Bautista had deposits less than P500,000 in a less popular bank.

“Bakit 'yung pattern ng deposit less than P500,000? So parang gusto yatang makalusot sa AMLC,” she said, referring to the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

“Hindi naman dahil kinukwestyon natin 'yung kredibilidad ng bangko na 'yun pero hindi ba nakakagulat na…'yun nilagay, isang mas maliit na bangko. 'Di ba mas gusto mo sa established na bangko kung talagang naninindigan ka na pera mo 'yun?” Poe pointed out.

According to Mrs. Bautista, the Comelec chief also had 35 Luzon Development Bank passbooks with more than P329 million in total balance. —KG, GMA News