Comelec chairman welcomes dismissal of impeachment complaint

September 20, 2017

Commission on Elections (Comelec)  chairman Andres Bautista welcomed the decision of the House of Representatives Justice Committee to junk an impeachment case against him. The House justice committee dismissed the impeachment complaint against Bautista for being insufficient in form, with a vote of 26-2. The complaint was filed by former Negros Oriental Representative Jacinto Paras and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio. In a statement, Bautista said he is glad the impeachment complaint, anchored on the claims of him having ill-gotten and undeclared wealth by his wife, Patricia, was dismissed. "This proves to be a significant step in clearing my name after the malicious accusations hurled against me," said Bautista. "As I have always maintained, the allegations are fabricated and baseless," he said. The poll chief said he welcomes the decision of the members of the justice committee of the House of Representatives. "I would like to thank the committee and the House leadership for upholding the rule of law and for their objectivity and fairness," said Bautista. Bautista said he is set to  focus on his "business as usual" mode at the election body.. Asked whether he is still considering to resign, Bautista said he is not ruling it out. "Resigning, going on leave, staying on, all these options we continue to discern and pray for guidance. And these options are always available to us," said Bautista. DMS