BIR to probe Bautistas, Divina

The Justice department chief presented to the media a copy of that will conduct the investigation for tax fraud.

Regional Director Glen Geraldino of Revenue Region No. 8 in Makati City will lead the panel formed by BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay through Revenue Special Order 7062017 issued on Monday.

Assisting Geraldino are revenue Laguna, Mandaluyong, TaguigPateros, and North Makati.

hot water, particularly University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina, who allegedly deposited money to the bank accounts of the Comelec chief.

Also, Luzon Development Bank and Smartmatic Corp., supplier of automated election machines, who allegedly gave commissions to Bautista through Divina.

A separate probe by the National Bureau of Investigation into Bautista’s alleged ill-gotten wealth has also begun.

1, Patricia accused her husband of accumulating ill-gotten wealth, claiming the Comelec chief had P1 billion in assets but declared only P176.3 million in his 2016 statement of as- sets, liabilities and net worth.

Patricia, 47, with whom Bautista has four children, is demanding her legal share of her husband’s legitimate income.

Speaker to Bautista: Resign

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday said Bautista should seriously consider resigning from his post.

But resignation does not mean Bautista will be off the hook, he said. Alvarez also said he welcomed moves to impeach the Comelec chief.

“Chairman Bautista should consider that (resignation) seriously because when you lead the agency handling the country’s elections, it has to be credible. It’s not good if it’s tainted,” Alvarez said in an interview on the ABSCBN News Channel.

If Patricia files an impeachment complaint against her own husband, “we have to process it,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said Patricia’s “personal knowledge” of the Comelec chairman’s alleged unexplained wealth would merit a legislative investigation.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon on Wednesday urged Bautista to go on leave.

“I advised Chair Bautista to take a leave immediately while he is deciding on his options to, in his own words, ‘resign or stay and