Palace says it respects Andy Bautista's decision to quit Comelec post
Bautista had denied the allegations, claiming that he had decent and legitimate sources of income as an international lawyer who worked in New York City and in Hong Kong before joining the government. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV, File
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday said it respects the decision of Commission on Elections chairman Andy Bautista to tender his resignation by the end of the year.
“We respect the decision of Chairman Andy Bautista. We wish him well,” Presidential Communications secretary Martin Andanar said in a statement.
READ: Andy Bautista quits Comelec post
In a letter addressed to Comelec employees, Bautista said that it was the right time to step down following the postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
"This was not an easy decision. But my family, especially my children, need me now more than ever," Bautista said in his letter.
For his part, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo qualified Bautista’s resignation as an “honorable exit.”
“I gave an educated guess on that, remember? The resignation is an honorable exit given the furor that erupted following the rupture of the marital bond,” Panelo said in a separate statement.
“In the end his decision was motivated by his desire to protect his children from the debilitating consequences arising from his family being in the vortex of an injurious public controversy. He evidently acted in the best interest of his family as well as the institution he heads,” he added.
Last month, the House Committee on Justice dismissed an impeachment case against Bautista, which his estranged wife Tish raised early August.
Tish alleged his estranged husband of amassing about P1 billion in unexplained wealth, which was not declared in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
READ: Bautista’s wife to explore other venues for allegations
"I believe I have served our Commission well and the Filipino people to the best of my ability, but only with your faithful help and constant support," Bautista told the Comelec.
Last August, the Bureau of Internal Revenue formed a team to investigate the possible violations of the Comelec chief following charges of hidden wealth.
The probe also includes Tish, dean Nilo Divina and his law firm DivinaLaw, Luzon Development Bank (LDB) and related parties.
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