PCGG conducts parallel probe into Bautista alleged ill-gotten wealth

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and Comelec Chair Andres Bautista INQUIRER.net / FILE PHOTOS

The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) is conducting a separate investigation into allegations that its former head, now Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Andres Bautista, amassed P1-billion worth of ill-gotten wealth, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Friday.

Aguirre said he met with acting PCGG chair Reynaldo Munsayac and two other Commissioners Rey Bulay and John Agbayani who provided them with documents on possible anomalies.

When asked what are the documents about, Aguirre said “cases of possible ghost employees, travel violations not in accordance with administrative procedure [but] we are still on the initial stage.”

Bautista served as PCGG chair from 2010 prior to his appointment as Comelec chief in 2015. PCGG is an attached agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ) tasked to recover the ill-gotten wealth stashed during the Marcos regime.

“Meron kahina-hinala (There were suspicions) when he was PCGG but that was the assessment of the three commissioners. Hopefully, this would be a part of the report that will be submitted to us,” Aguirre told reporters in a chance interview.

“Like the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), PCGG also has the power to investigate,” Aguirre added.

Bautista has been accused by his wife Patricia Paz of amassing a billion peso worth of ill-gotten wealth. She has already provided an affidavit to the NBI after meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte last July 26.

READ: Wife says Comelec chief has unexplained wealth

Part of the NBI’s investigation is to look into the reported 35 bank accounts of Bautista.

Aguirre said the NBI has a memorandum of agreement with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) that will be tapped to help in the probe.

While Aguirre said they will not ask Bautista to issue a waiver allowing the examination of his accounts, it will be easier for the investigators if he will provide one.

Under the Bank Secrecy Law, all deposits with banks or banking institutions in the country are considered absolutely confidential in nature and may not be examined, inquired or looked into by any person, government official, bureau or office, except upon written permission of the depositor, or in cases of impeachment, or upon order of a competent court in cases of bribery or dereliction of duty of public officials, or in cases where the money deposited or invested is the subject matter of the litigation.

“It is up to him (Bautista) to issue a waiver or not. If he will, well and good,” Aguirre said. JPV

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