KABAYAN Partylist Representative Harry Roque on Wednesday bared his plan to endorse an impeachment complaint against Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Juan Andres Bautista.
"I'm inclined to endorse an impeachment complaint against the chairman of the Comelec for graft and corruption and for betrayal of public trust," Roque announced in a press conference.
Roque believes that Bautista may be held liable if allegations that he accumulated ill-gotten wealth amounting to at least a billion peso will be proven true. The accusation was made by Bautista's own wife after allegedly obtaining documents in their conjugal home.
However, Roque said he will only endorse the complaint if he thinks that it meets the standard of "personal knowledge."
"Kung sa tingin ko hindi papasa iyan sa standard na ginamit ni Majority Floor Leader (Rodolfo Fariñas) doon sa impeachment against [President Rodrigo] Duterte, lalong lalo na doon sa issue on personal knowledge, eh hindi ko po pupwedeng iendorso,” Roque said.
"I cannot compromise kung ididismiss lang din sa committee level dahil walang personal knowledge ang mga complainant, hindi ko po yan ieendorso," he added.
On Tuesday, lawyer Manuelito Luna said ex-lawmaker Jacinto Paras will file an impeachment complaint against Bautista the following day, but refused to disclose who their endorser was.
"Paras was impelled to make such move due to Bautista's betrayals of the public trust which tended to put the office into disrepute, as well as for culpable violation of the Constitution in that he failed to file his SALN in accordance with the requirement of the [law]," Luna said.
Earlier in the day, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said Bautista can weather an impeachment complaint as he is "a good lawyer."
"If an impeachment complaint is filed against him, I'm sure he can defend himself ably, being a good lawyer, [and] having good lawyers," she said.
Meanwhile, Malacañang distanced itself from the impeachment complaint to be filed against the poll chief.
In a chance interview, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said due process should be afforded to Bautista amid calls to remove him from office.
"We don't have any official notice regarding the matter at perhaps if there's one, let it be properly processed," Abella said when sought for reaction on the lodging of impeachment complaint against Bautista.
"We don't have anything to do with that," he added.
On August 7, President Rodrigo Duterte said he was taking a hands-off stance in the ill-gotten wealth issue thrown against Bautista.
The President, who had met with the couple one by one, said he merely instructed Bautista to "fix" his spat with his estranged wife.
"I don't want to meddle," Duterte said. "I asked him (Bautista) to fix his quarrel with the wife. That's the thing I could do as lawyer. (With Ruth Abbey Gita/SunStar Philippines)