Stop this media circus, Comelec chief asks wife

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista and wife Patricia. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS/Grig C. Montegrande/L. RILLON

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Andres Bautista on Thursday appealed to the camp of his estranged wife to stop “this media circus,” saying that their exchange of accusations should instead be settled in court.

“I am appealing to them, for the sake of the kids. Cases have been filed, will be filed in court, let the courts decide. Let’s follow due process of law. Let’s go to the courts. Let’s  not try this in the media because it’s not doing any good for my kids,” he told reporters.

Bautista and his wife, Patricia, have four sons aged 8, 13, 14 and 16.

According to the poll chief, his children have not been going to school because of the controversy. In a previous interview, he said his kids were being bullied in school.

“One [of my kids] keeps complaining of stomachache, the other just always wants to sleep. This circus is really at their expense,” Bautista lamented.

“I know they’ve already been damaged. What I’m just trying to do is to mitigate and hopefully give them a fair opportunity to grow up as stable individuals, that’s all,” he said, adding:

“I don’t care anymore. I don’t want to worry about what they (Patricia’s camp) will say. As far as I’m concerned, still my primary concern are my kids.”

Bautista on Tuesday filed grave coercion, qualified theft and robbery, and extortion charges against Patricia before the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office.

The filing of charges came on the heels of Patricia’s accusation that he had amassed nearly P1 billion in unexplained wealth, including a total balance of P329 million in accounts in Luzon Development Bank.

Bautista said that the allegations of his wife was just part of efforts to extort and blackmail him to cough up about P620 million as divorce settlement.

Extort try

To prove it, Bautista showed to reporters the demand letter sent by Patricia’s camp on Feb. 7, 2017.

Signed by lawyer Lorna Kapunan, the demand letter asks Bautista to provide Patricia with P500 million in cash, including P200 million as trust fund for their children.

The wife is also demanding ownership of the conjugal residence at the Pacific Plaza Towers in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, should their marriage be dissolved by a Hong Kong court.

Kapunan, in her letter, told Bautista that Patricia “wants a dissolution of the absolute community of properties” and that his wife “has in her possession and/or control of certain documents to show your true net worth, which forms part of the absolute community of properties.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of Comelec employees and officials, including Commissioner Art Lim, showed their support to the beleaguered poll chief by joining him at a noon Mass at the nearby Manila Cathedral.

Most were clad in white shirts, while some carried placards bearing messages of support for Bautista.

“We support Chair Andy,” “Our prayers are with you Chairman Andy, be strong for your family and Comelec,” read some of the placards.