Aguirre offers government protection to Bautista’s wife

JUSTICE SECRETARY Vitaliano N. Aguirre II on Monday said government protection may be offered to the estranged wife of embattled Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Juan Andres B. Bautista.

In a text message to reporters, Mr. Aguirre said: “She can apply with the Witness Protection Program (WPP) and we will consider, especially since there are reported threats against her.”

Under the rules of the WPP a person should first submit an affidavit to the Department of Justice (DoJ), which will then evaluate the case.

Patricia Cruz-Bautista, in an affidavit and other documents submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), has made accusations that her husband has amassed about P1 billion in unexplained wealth and did not declare these in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) for 2016.

The SALN is required from all government employees.

IMPEACHMENT
Meanwhile, Volunteers against Crime and Corruption (VACC) lawyer Manuelito R. Luna yesterday asked the NBI for copies of the documents submitted by Ms. Bautista to strengthen a planned impeachment case against the Comelec head.

Mr. Luna, on behalf of VACC member and former solon Jacinto V. Paras, sent a letter to NBI Director Dante A. Gierran requesting for “certified true copies of the Affidavit of [Particia Paz Bautista] and the 35 Luzon Development Bank (LDB) passbooks, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) peso account document and other documents submitted to your office.”

The one-page letter dated Aug. 14 was submitted to the NBI yesterday afternoon. Mr. Luna said that his request is “in connection with the filing of an impeachment complaint against [Mr. Bautista].”

“Our said client is resorting to this request owing to the fact that the Committee of Justice of the House of Representatives will not accept any documents other than certified or original, appended to impeachment complaints,” Mr. Luna said.

In her affidavit, Ms. Bautista claimed that her husband has LDB accounts, RCBC accounts, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) account, several real properties, foreign investment and properties, and several checks and commission sheets from Divina Law, where Mr. Bautista practiced law before engaging in public service.

For a copy of Mr. Bautista’s SALN, Mr. Luna said he will send his request to the Office of Ombudsman Central headed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.

The NBI is conducting a separate investigation on Mr. Bautista as ordered by Mr. Aguirre. The Justice chief said that the probe will include Mr. Bautista’s previous stint at the Presidential Commission on Good Government and the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

Mr. Aguirre said that the NBI probe “can be used as basis in filing an impeachment complaint” against the Comelec chief.

Mr. Bautista has denied the allegations and last week filed charges against his estranged wife. — Kristine Joy V. Patag