MANILA -- Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Juan Andres Bautista has filed several charges against his estranged wife in connection with the latter's accusation that he has unexplained wealth amounting to close to P1 billion.
Bautista noted that charges were filed against Patricia Bautista at the Taguig City Prosecutor's Office.
"We have filed cases for grave coercion, qualified theft, robbery, among others," said Bautista in an interview over ANC.
He did not give further details on the charges when he was interviewed at the kick-off activity in connection with the start of the printing of official ballots at the National Printing Office (NPO) on Wednesday, August 9. He confirmed though that cases were filed after raising four fingers to indicate the number of cases.
Earlier, Bautista said that his wife had forcibly opened his cabinet and took documents, cash, ATMs, gift certificates, passbooks, financial reports, and iPad.
He said Patricia is only looking to extort money from him as part of their settlement for their legal separation.
He also admitted that the exchange of accusations in public was not good, as he would like to protect their children from being dragged into the mess.
"Yun ngang aking isang anak, hindi na pumapasok dahil dito. Is the universe taking care of them right now? It's not fair to them. That's the problem," he said in the television interview.
Bautista reiterated that all his assets and earnings were correctly declared in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) and that he had no undeclared wealth.
"I did not lie in my SALN. There are moneys in the name of my parents, siblings. All properties belonging to me are in my SALN," said Bautista. (PNA)