Bautista bares receiving threat to pay wife or face impeachment

Comelec Chair Andres “Andy” Bautista. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ELOISA LOPEZ

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Andres “Andy” Bautista claimed that an alleged copy of an impeachment complaint draft against him was sent to his camp in an alleged attempt to pressure him to pay his wife.

“This was a copy of an impeachment complaint that was sent surreptitiously by a person, supposedly Ivan Lu, to my sister on June 28, 2017,” Bautista said over ABS-CBN News Channel’s “Headstart” on Wednesday.

“(This was) sent to my sister, sent to my mother-in-law, sent to my cousin. And again talagang to pressure me, na sinasabing ‘oy, pag hindi ka nagbayad mai-impeach ka na (And again, really to pressure me ,as if saying, ‘pay up or you will be impeached’),” he said, adding that this was sent even before Patricia submitted her affidavit to the National Bureau of Investigations on Aug. 1 alleging him of unexplained wealth worth P1 billion.

The poll chief said the motive behind the accusations hurled against him by his wife Patricia was money.

READ: Comelec chief’s quarrel with wife sidebar to bigger story

“They stole the documents November 2016. Bakit ngayon lang nilalabas? Kung sinasabi nila meron daw mag pagkakamali, nakaw na yaman, bakit ngayon lang? At ang sagot ay simple lang no, because nga, pera pera lang naman ito eh. Humihingi sila ng malaking pera,” Bautista said.

(Why are they releasing this just now? If they are saying that I committed a misconduct or that I have ill-gotten wealth, why only now? The answer is simple, it’s all about the money. They are just asking for a huge amount.)

Despite this, the Comelec chief said he is willing to give what rightfully belongs to his wife.

“Ako naman sabi ko nga handang ibigay kung ano ‘yung dapat na kanyang makuha (I am ready to give her what is rightfully hers),” he added. IDL

READ: Comelec chair’s wife wants half of ‘clean’ money