Senate panel moves to compel ex-poll chief Bautista to attend probe

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero (left) and Comelec chairman Andres Bautista. HANDOUT PHOTO, INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

A subpoena has been issued against former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista following repeated failure to attend a Senate hearing on his possible violation of the Anti-Money Laundering Law.

Bautista was a no-show again during Tuesday’s scheduled hearing of the Senate committee on banks, financial institutions and currencies chaired by Senator Chiz Escudero, which prompted the issuance of the subpoena.

Escudero said that under the subpoena, Bautista was commanded and directed to appear on February 12, 2018, before the committee.

And failure to do so, he said, would compel the Senate to hold him in contempt and move for his arrest under Section 18 of the Rules Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation.

“The committee has consistently sent him invitations to all of the hearings we conducted but until today, he has not given any reasons for his absence. Not even a representative to act on his behalf,” Escudero said in a statement.

“We held him in his own words on the media in the past that he will appear and defend himself once invited but apparently he has been a consistent no-show,” he added.

Escudero said the committee has sent invitations to all of Bautista’s three known addresses since the inquiry began in August and this Tuesday’s hearing would have been the third. This “is also the third time that Bautista has failed to appear,” he said.

READ: Senate banks committee to subpoena Bautista

In this regard, the senator also asked the Bureau of Immigration to provide the committee with all the travel information of the former Comelec chief from August 1, 2017 to date.

Bautista has been accused by own wife, Patricia, of allegedly amassing nearly P1-billion worth of ill-gotten wealth, an allegation that the resigned official has repeatedly denied. /jpv

READ: Wife says Comelec chief has unexplained wealth