Senate banks committee to subpoena Bautista

Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista LYN RILLON / INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Senate is set to subpoena former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Andres Bautista after he had snubbed an invitation to appear in Wednesday’s inquiry into his alleged unexplained wealth.

Sen. Francis Escudero, chair of the committee on banks, financial institutions and currencies, said the panel did not even hear a word from Bautista explaining his absence from the hearing despite being sent three invitations.

“We will ask Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III to issue a subpoena to… Bautista,” Escudero said, adding that the former Comelec chief still needed to appear in the Senate even if he were to sign a bank waiver that would allow the panel to look into his supposed 35 bank accounts at Luzon Development Bank (LDB).

Bautista’s estranged wife, Patricia, had alleged that her husband had hidden wealth as shown by P329 million in cash he allegedly kept in 35 LDB accounts. —Jocelyn R. Uy