Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Andres “Andy” Bautista said he gave “personal reasons” when he tendered his resignation to President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday.
Bautista said his resignation would take effect on December 31, 2017.
READ: Comelec chair Andres Bautista resigns
“Ang aking ibinigay na rason ay personal reasons at siguro hindi naman kaila sa inyo kung ano ‘yung mga hamon na kinaharap ko sa aking personal na buhay kung kayat minarapat ko na tama na ang panahong ito para nga ihayag ang aking intention na mag-resign…” he said at the regular Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.
(I gave personal reasons and you very well know the challenges I faced in my personal life that’s why I decided that this is the time for me to announce my intention to resign.)
His wife Patricia had earlier accused him of amassing alleged unexplained wealth, which he strongly denied.
Bautista said it was now a “good time” to announce his resignation to give the President enough time to choose his replacement and allow a “smooth and orderly” transition in the agency.
READ: Palace on Andy Bautista’s resignation: ‘We wish him well’
The Comelec chief noted that his replacement should start preparing in January for the May 2018 barangay and SK elections.
Asked what advice he would give to his successor to survive a seven-year term in the Comelec, Bautista said: “Mahirap talaga, mahirap ‘yun (It’s really difficult).”
“But I think, you have to have patience. I think that the Comelec is more a management than a quasi -judicial body so I think you really need people who know about how to manage resources…Kailangan mo d’yan is a good administrator sa aking palagay (I think what you need there is a good administrator),” he added. /idl