NBI to probe Comelec chair after wife's exposé
In a department order released on Monday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) directed the NBI, its attached agency, to conduct investigation and case build-up over the alleged failure of Bautista to disclose pertinent information required in his Statements of Assets Liabilities and Net worth (SALN).
Bautista's wife Patricia on August 1 submitted before the NBI an affidavit divulging the Comelec chief's alleged undisclosed assets.
In 2016, Bautista's SALN reported a net worth of P176.3 million, but in the affidavit executed by Patricia, she said her husband's net worth could reach nearly a billion, allegedly through his "misleading and corrupt practices while in government service."
The order signed by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has further directed the NBI to determine if Bautista violated the "anti-money laundering law and such other related laws."
According to Patricia, her husband failed to disclose his peso passbook accounts with the Luzon Development Bank (LDB), worth P329,220,962, and with RCBC, worth P257,931.60; a foreign currency account with RCBC worth $12,778.30 (P640,959.53); and an HSBC account with HK$948,358.97 or P6.10 million (P6.43 to HK$1.00) .
Patricia also said her husband has condominium units in BGC, Taguig and in San Francisco, USA and investments abroad not listed in his SALN.
Patricia first submitted her affidavit before President Rodrigo Duterte last July 26 in a meeting in Malacañang.
During the meeting, the President summoned NBI chief Dante Gierran and endorsed Patricia's complaints.
The poll chief in previous interviews denied his wife's allegations. He said Patricia just wants to extort from him P620 million worth settlement, which he cannot give.