Bautista leaves office with an act of moral bankruptcy

First word

WITH the writing on the wall and disaster staring him in the face, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Andres Bautista tried to escape his fate by tendering a postdated resignation that would take effect only on December 31.

It was a telling act of moral bankruptcy not keep his vows to his wife, a father who could not honor his fundamental obliga- tions to his children. He could not resign

Two examples of moral bankruptcy

Two indisputable examples of moral bankruptcy will make clear my meaning: First, the decision of the energy company from its creditors, as a consequence of a colossal scandal involving the hiding of manipulation. Arthur Andersen, Enron’s was approved.

Second, the decision of the Boston arch from the child victims of sexual abuse by priests. The hierarchy defended the institution instead of defending the children. The church hunkered down to protect its

moral reputation; in so doing, it lost its moral authority.

While Bautista’s mistake is individual, and not institutional, it provokes as much outrage for bad judgment and lack of scruples.

Clinging to power and perks

By postdating the effectivity of his resignation, Bautista probably reasoned that he could legally hang year, and he would thereby retain the power to approve and sign critical supply contracts pertaining to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections scheduled next year.

The lawyer in Bautista also prob - layed resignation, he could still the clamor for his impeachment in the media and Congress. With him transgressions. Perhaps he would then have time to mount an availing and sustained response to his predicament. But this was not to be.

Duterte jumps the gun

Two things fatefully happened before this scenario could take place.

First, the House of Representatives, on the same day that Bautista impeached the Comelec chairman, by reversing an earlier decision by its justice committee to spare Bautista from impeachment.

The House move was unprecedented; Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez joined the voting, and helped in delivering the resounding vote of 137 to 2 for impeachment. The chamber was gung ho about completing and delivering the articles of impeachment to the Senate so Bautista’s trial could be immediately scheduled.

Second, President Rodrigo Duterte decided to exercise his power as head of the executive branch of government. He acted to accept Bautista’s resignation. Through the executive secretary, Salvador Medialdea, the president told Bautista that his resignation was effective immediately. He bluntly suggested that he should commission immediately.

In a parting shot, the executive secretary told Bautista that we can now move forward in our collective desire for more transparent and cleaner elections.

Lim as acting Comelec chairman

The elections body was just as impatient to move forward. Without waiting for DU30 to come up with a replacement for Bautista, the Comelec on Tuesday assigned Christian Robert Lim as the acting chairman of the poll body, just hours after the President’s acceptance of Bautista’s resignation. The commissioners were unanimous in choosing Lim as the acting head. He is the most senior among them. Lim was appointed Comelec commissioner by President Benigno Aquino 3rd in April 2011.

At a media forum in Quezon City, I asked the lawyers and citizencomplainants who were pressing for Bautista’s impeachment, about what they would do if Bautista should resign. Because then, they would be deprived of the whole point of their political and legal action.

They admitted that they frankly hoped that Bautista would not resign. They felt more comfortable arguing the case against him.

Moot and academic

In the wake of President Duterte’s decision to make Bautista’s resignation effective immediately, the House members behind the impeachment vote are resigned to the fact that the impeachment of Bautista is now “moot and academic.” They‘re all content to have won the point. They have other impeachment business to attend to.

There are many, including this writer, who wanted to see how House prosecutors would prove the case for impeachment against Bautista. I wanted to see how Bautista, summoning all his lawyerly wiles, would defend himself against the mountain of evidence against him (multiple bank passbooks, unexplained wealth, illegal payments from a Comelec supplier, questions in the election process).

Bautista’s resignation ends the impeachment action against him. But now that his immunity from suit is lost, he can be haled into court to face the various allegations against him, beginning with the complaints of his wife.

A wronged wife began the reversal of his fortunes and exposed his villainy.