(Eagle News) — Senator Grace Poe on Monday said the credibility of the 2016 elections, but only where candidates won by a small margin, could be tainted following allegations of dishonesty against Commission on Elections chief Andres Bautista.
“Siyempre lahat ng nasa Comelec dapat napagkakatiwalaan kasi nga sensitibo ang proseso ng ating demokrasya…Maaaring (may) mga ibang pwesto ang maaaring makwestiyon dahil mas dikit ang laban,” she said.
She noted, however, that the case of President Rodrigo Duterte does not apply, as he was way ahead than the other presidential contenders, including her.
The President got more than 16 million votes in the May elections, over five million votes more than the candidate in second place, Mar Roxas.
This was not the case, however, with Vice President Leni Robredo, who was in a neck and neck race with Bongbong Marcos before she was declared the winner by a small margin.
“Suportado ko yung resolution ni Senator (Tito) Sotto. Hindi sa anupaman dahil ang kaso na ito ay plunder…Kung saka sakali man, hindi lamang isang milyon o sampung milyon, daan daang milyon ang pinaguusapan,” she said.
“Kahit na sabihin nila away mag-asawa iyan, totoo, away mag-asawa iyan, pero higit pa diyan ito. Away ito ng ating estado sa mga nangungurakot o mga hindi tamang pamamaraan ng pagpapatakbo ng iyong opisina,” she added.
On Monday, Senator Tito Sotto filed Resolution No. 456, urging the Senate blue ribbon committee to look into the allegations hurled by Patricia Bautista, the wife of the Comelec chief, against him.
Bautista alleged her husband, against whom she filed a case for violation of the law against violence against women and children before the Taguig Prosecutors Office, might have amassed over a billion pesos in ill-gotten wealth while in public service.
The Comelec chief has denied the allegations.