Bautista still under investigation for ill-gotten wealth — Escudero

THE SENATE committee on banks, financial institutions, and currencies will still investigate allegations of ill-gotten wealth against resigned Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Andres D. Bautista, according to Senator Francis G. Escudero, committee chairman.

“[Y]ung pananagutang civil o criminal ng isang opisyal sa ginawa o hindi niya ginawa nung siya ay nasa pwesto ay nananatili pa rin at dapat pa rin niyang panagutan (An official’s civil or criminal liability, committed or not when he was still in office, remains and should be answered),” Mr. Escudero said in an interview with reporters on Wednesday, Oct. 25. “[P]ag pinagsama mo siguro yung sequestered companies na deposit dun at deposit niya baka umabot sa mayorya ng deposits sa LDB (Luzon Development Bank) yung dalawang yun (If you combine the deposits by sequestered companies and his deposits, these may amount to majority of the deposits at LDB),” the senator also said. Mr. Bautista’s estranged wife, Patricia, had alleged that he kept many accounts at the said bank alongside accounts by sequestered companies on the watch of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, which Mr. Bautista headed before he became Comelec chairman in 2015.

“May dapat siyang ipaliwanag dahil ito ay taliwas sa

regulasyon gaya ng sinabi ko na dapat sa isang government depository bank ilagay ang pera (He has some explaining to do because these deposits are contrary to the regulation that they should be placed in a government depository bank),” Mr. Escudero also said, adding:

“Pero karamihan sa accounts ng sequestered companies ay inilagay sa LDB (But most of the accounts by the sequestered companies are with the LDB).”

Asked whether Mr. Bautista’s wife will be invited to the Senate, Mr. Escudero said this will depend on the committee members requesting her participation in the inquiry. —