Ex-solon Paras says Bautista impeachment still has meaning, gravity

Former Negros Oriental Rep. Jing Paras INQUIRER.net file photo

The impeachment proceedings against Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair Andres Bautista would still be worthy as the prosecution is set to present documents that would prove the allegations of corruption against him, a former congressman said.

Former Negros Oriental Rep. Jacinto “Jing” Paras, one of the complainants in the impeachment complaint against Bautista, said his camp obtained the findings of the Presidential Commission on Good Government’s (PCGG) investigation into Bautista’s alleged hidden wealth.

In a press conference in Manila on Thursday, Paras presented to the members of the media a 19-page document said to be the results of the PCGG’s parallel investigation released barely two months after Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II’s directive.

READ: Aguirre orders PCGG to probe Bautista’s ‘unexplained wealth’

Bautista served as the PCGG chair from 2010 to 2014.

The alleged report, which apparently has no letterhead nor cover letter would be used as evidence in the impeachment proceedings, Paras noted.

“Since hindi pa nag-resign si Chairman Bautista kasi parang binibitin pa niya, may kahulugan pa rin itong impeachment complaint,” Paras said.

(Since Chairman Bautista is not yet officially resigned because he is seemingly leaving it hanging, this impeachment complaint still has meaning.)

READ: Bautista disputes issue of PCGG ghost employees

The former lawmaker said he and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio had a meeting with PCGG chair Reynaldo Munsayac, who turned over the supposed report of the agency.

“Nagkaroon ng findings of graft and corruption si Chairman Bautista base dito sa (report),” he said.

(There had been findings of graft and corruption for Chairman Bautista based in this report.)

The unsigned document indicated that the PCGG alleged Bautista of the following:

Unliquidated cash disbursements obtained from the PNB dollar escrow accounts of the PCGG;

Hiring of ghost employees, including Joey Pery, Howard Vitas, and Atty. Lawrence Dychiao;

Receiving P10.5-million worth of gift checks—P9.06-million of which remain unliquidated to date—from Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Company (Baseco) and IRC Group, two companies sequestered by the PCGG;

Engaging the Divina Law Office in different projects of the PCGG’s sequestered companies despite having existing lawyers;

Abuse of government motor vehicles;

Anomalous payments of membership dues to his private organizations; and

Opening numerous accounts with Luzon Development Bank, giving “unwarranted benefits, advantage, and preference” to the bank.

Bautista, however, denied all these allegations.

“This is an official report of the PCGG. And according to the three commissioners, headed by Chairman Rey Munsayac, if matutuloy po itong impeachment, they will be more than willing to be witnesses to prove that their allegation of corruption were (committed) by Chairman Andres Bautista in PCGG,” Paras said.

And if the impeachment proceedings become moot and academic due to Bautista’s resignation, Paras claimed that the PCGG officials would be “more than willing” to testify in a criminal case, including plunder and malversation.

But when asked about the existence and authenticity of such report, Aguirre said only the PCGG “could authenticate them.”

Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes, on the other hand, said that he could not comment yet because they have not yet seen the report.

“Good day sir, wala pa po kami (we could not) comment on it since di pa namin nakita (we haven’t seen the) report,” Balmes said. /jpv