Alvarez: No impeachment for Bautista if resignation takes effect immediately

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

Commission on Elections chairman Andres Bautista will no longer have to go through an impeachment trial in the Senate if his resignation would take effect immediately, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said on Wednesday.

Voting 137-75-2, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Bautista despite his announcement that he would resign by the end of the year.

But since the resignation was not effective immediately, Alvarez said the impeachment trial against Bautista will push through.

“Ay oo. Siguro baka naman nakatunog siya (Bautista) na medyo matatalo siya sa plenaryo, inunahan na niya ngayon ng resignation, pero ginawa niyang end of the year. Siguro para to convince us na huwag naming ituloy ‘yung deliberation sa plenary,” the Speaker said in an interview over DZMM shortly after the voting.

But he said the House was not convinced by the Comelec chief’s resignation.

“Alam niyo, kung ang resignation niya e effective immediately, wala na po kaming i-impeach. Wala na kaming i-impeach,” he said.

“Pero since he’s still a sitting chairman sa Comelec, pwede pa namin syang i-impeach. Although that does not prevent him from resigning today, tonight, tomorrow para wala ng impeachment trial.”

Asked again what would happen if Bautista would resign immediately, Alvarez said: “E ano pang i-impeach natin. Wala na, wala ng trial.”

The Speaker reiterated that the corruption charges against Bautista were “serious” considering that the allegations came from the latter’s own wife, Patricia.

Bautista’s wife earlier alleged that he might have amassed nearly P1 billion unexplained wealth, which he bas repeatedly denied.

“(Ang) nagrereklamo ay mismong ‘yung asawa. E mabigat e. Nakita ko ‘yung mga ebidensya, e medyo mabigat talaga,” Alvarez said.

The Speaker said the impeachment trial is an opportunity for Bautista to disprove all allegations against him. /je