Comelec chair’s wife wants half of ‘clean’ money

Patricia Paz Bautista. INQUIRER / LYN RILLON

Commission on Election’s (Comelec) Chief Andres Bautista’s wife, Patricia, denied on Tuesday that  she asked for P620 million from him as settlement, saying  that she only wanted “half of what is clean.”

“Let me make it clear. By law I’m entitled to half of what Andy owns, but I only want half of what’s clean. This is why we’re bringing it to the government to tell me which part is clean,” Patricia said in an interview on ANC’s morning show Headstart.

“I would not do all these and get into the muck myself,” she added.

Bautista’s estranged wife also clarified that she was not after the money.

“If I’m after the money this is the most inefficient way to do it. Whatever I want I would get it through the court,” Patricia said.

Bautista earlier denied the allegations of unexplained and ill-gotten wealth hurled against him by his wife, claiming he was the real victim.

“Hindi totoo ang mga paratang na iyan … Ako ang biktima dito,” (The accusations are not true. I am the victim here) Bautista said.

“Biktima ako ng pagtataksil at ng panggagahasa sa aking sariling pamamahay,” (I am a victim of infidelity and rape at my own home) he continued, using rape to describe the alleged ransacking of his personal belongings at their house.

He said a “third party” was involved in the controversy.

Read: Comelec Chair Bautista: I am a victim of infidelity

Patricia denied her husband’s accusations that she had a relationship with another man.

When asked about a certain “Alvin Lim” being linked to her, Patricia said: “We’re friends. We’re very good friends. We’ve worked together so if you saw pictures of us together, it’s normal.”

“We’re very close. We’re both energy healers. People can interpret that the way they want,” she said.

Patricia claimed that the issue about her and Lim was a rumor started by a one of his former girlfriends.

Patricia also warned the poll chief to be careful in talking about infidelity.

“If he wants to talk about infidelity I would be very careful if I were him. Again, I can defend whatever he throws at me. I don’t know if he can do the same.

She added that their “domestic problems” have been there for a long time even before she exposed her husband’s alleged undeclared wealth.

“People who know me know that. It’s just a distraction again to distract from what the issue is. This is the issue not my issue. I can defend myself. Can he?” said Patricia. CBB