Brother to Comelec chief amid controversy: ‘Magpakamatay ka kung totoo’

FILE/ Comelec Chair Andres Bautista. (PNA PHOTO)

Embattled Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista should kill himself if corruption allegations against him were proven true, the poll chief’s brother said on Monday.

“Sinabi ko sa kapatid ko ‘yon, alam mo corruption, masaya ‘yan diba. So I told him, alam mo kung totoo ‘to, magpakamatay ka…Sabi niya wala eh and I believe my brother (I told my brother that corruption is bad so I told him that if it’s true he should kill himself and I believe my broether), ” said Martin, Bautista’s older brother, in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel’s “Early Edition”.

Contrary to the accusations of the comelec chair’s wife Patricia, Martin said he is confident that his brother’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN) was above board and that he did not lie about it.

“Hindi namin alam (We don’t know)  if these were fabrications. Hindi natin alam (We don’t know) which one is genunine [or] which one is fake,” Martin added referring to Patricia’s documents, which the latter claimed as proof of his husband’s unexplained wealth.

He also denied claims that Andres had allegedly received commissions from Smartmatic, the service provider of the Comelec during the 2016 elections.

“Let Secretary Aguirre determine. Let the DOJ determine. Let the BIR determine. Ang hinihiling lang (What we only ask is) complete unadulterated transparency. Wala kaming tinatago, walang ninakaw ang kapatid ko (We are hiding nothing and my brother did not steal anything),” Martin said.

Martin maintained the credibility of the 2016 presidential elections, saying that this should not raise doubts on the results of the poll.

“This should not taint the elections. This should not cast any doubt on the outcome of the elections. Walang dayaan doon (There were no cheating there),” he added.