President Rodrigo Duterte will not tolerate corruption, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said on Monday regarding the “possible impeachment case” against poll chief Andres Bautista.
“Well the President’s stand is pretty clear regarding this matter that he will not tolerate corruption even a whiff of it,” Abella told reporters in a press conference, adding that the issue must be investigated.
“The whole matter has to be fully investigated. At this stage that’s all we can say,” the spokesman said.
This after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair’s wife, Patricia Bautista alleged that her husband’s accumulated unexplained wealth of up to P1 billion.
Read: Comelec Chair Bautista: I am a victim of infidelity
Bautista later denied this, saying that he was a victim of his wife’s “infidelity and extortion schemes.”
Backstory: Comelec chief accuses wife of extortion attempt
Abella confirmed that there was a closed-door meeting on July 26, the date Patricia said she met the President to present the pieces of evidence she found in Bautista’s cabinet.
“There was a closed-door meeting but he did not state who the parties were,” Abella said.
When asked about the allegations against Bautista being politically-motivated, the presidential spokesman said: “I don’t have any statement regarding that matter.”