MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice has ordered the Presidential Commission on Good Government to conduct an investigation against the alleged unexplained wealth of the former commission chairman Juan Andres Bautista, now head of the Commission on Elections.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II issued Department Order No. 551 or the “authority to investigate the allegations of corruption and unexplained wealth made against Comelec Chair Andres Bautista during his time as PCGG Chair and Authority given to PCGG to perform additional investigate powers related to its mandate” on Tuesday.
Aguirre said the order to conduct a probe is effective immediately and shall remain in force until further orders.
“The PCGG shall closely coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation, the Commission on Audit, and the Department of Justice in the conduct of its investigation and is further authorized to prosecute cases, when necessary, in accordance with its power under Executive Order Nos. 1,2,14 and 14-A above stated and other relevant laws,” the order said.
The Department Order particularly indicated that the PCGG should investigate submit a report and recommendation to Aguirre on five various issues concerning Bautista and his role in the PCGG.
The five concerns are as follows:
- Report of the COA or more than P100 Million unliquidated cash disbursements obtained from the Philippine National Bank, Dollar Escrow Accts of the PCGG during the time of Bautista as PCGG Chair;
- The reported abuse of resources of PCGG sequestered and surrendered entities committed during the time of Bautista including but not limited to Bautista and his staff, including those supposedly given to the members of the media;
- Allegations of ill-gotten wealth, kickbacks and commissions of Bautist, including but not limited to the alleged payment of purported excessive billings made to law firms supposedly connected with him;
- The PCGG cases both civil and criminal which were dismissed compressed or with adverse judgments;
- And the recovery and forfeiture of assets under the name of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos and their cronies that unexplainably remain unsequestered.
Prior to his appointment to the Comelec, Bautista was appointed by President Benigno Aquino III as chair of the PCGG in 2010.
He was the youngest to have been appointed chair to the agency since it was established in 1986 to go after the ill-gotten wealth of dictator Ferdinand Marcos and family.
Bautista faces corruption allegations after his estranged wife Patricia "Tisha" Paz Cruz-Bautista alleged her husband amassed about P1 billion unexplained wealth.
Andres only declared P176 million in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth.
Last August 7, Aguirre also ordered the NBI to conduct a probe into the poll chief's supposedly undisclosed wealth.
RELATED: The story so far: Poll chief Andres Bautista and wife