Evidence in impeach rap vs. Bautista strong: poll watchdog

FILE: Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Juan Andres Bautista sees nothing wrong on the proposed lifestyle check among ranking poll body officials. (PNA photo)

MANILA — An election watchdog group is convinced that the pieces of evidence on the impeachment complaint lodged against Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Juan Andres Bautista are strong.

“Evidence of COMELEC Chair Andres Bautista’s negligence and incompetence is strong,” said Kontra Daya convener Prof. Danilo Arao said in a statement.

“We wonder where he got the idea that he can overcome impeachment case.”

At the same time, the Kontra Daya official urged the poll body chief to resign.

“It is best for him to resign as early as now to somehow ensure that he will not use his position to cover up any investigation into the 2016 polls, particularly the role of Smartmatic,” Arao added.

On Tuesday, Bautista said that he has a good chance against the impeachment complaint which was filed by former Negros Oriental Representative Jacinto Paras at the House of Representatives last week.

He noted that he already read the 23-page impeachment complaint and has consulted his lawyers regarding the case.

Paras and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio filed an impeachment complaint citing the poll body chief has committed irregularities related to the 2016 national elections, his alleged ineptitude in addressing a hacking attack of the Comelec website and failure to truthfully disclose his net worth.

The case has been transmitted to the office of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Earlier, the poll body’s six commissioners asked Bautista to take a leave of absence or resign in the midst of allegations of unexplained wealth hurled by his estranged wife Patricia Paz Bautista. (PNA)