Sen. Richard Gordon said on Wednesday that the blue ribbon committee would investigate the controversy involving Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Andres Bautista, whose estranged wife had accused him of having unexplained wealth.
But Gordon said it was his position that the committee would discontinue the hearings once an impeachment case against Bautista was filed in the House of Representatives.
Sotto鈥檚 resolution
鈥淲e are discussing it,鈥� he told reporters, in reference to how the committee would handle the inquiry that was sought by Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III.
On Wednesday, the Senate tasked Gordon鈥檚 committee with handling Sotto鈥檚 resolution seeking the inquiry.
Sotto told the Inquirer that he talked with Gordon and reiterated his desire that the hearings would stop once the House received a formal impeachment complaint against Bautista. 鈥淚 just want it to focus on the intention of my resolution,鈥� Sotto said.
He insisted that the inquiry would be in aid of legislation because he wanted to find out why government officials were able to circumvent the law requiring them to declare their personal wealth through the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.
鈥楨rase鈥� findings
Bautista was accused by his wife Patricia of having P1 billion in unexplained wealth, including a balance of P329 million in accounts with Luzon Development Bank. He has denied the allegations.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said that if the Comelec chief was impeached, the Senate must 鈥渆rase鈥� from its mind the findings, if ever, of its blue ribbon committee inquiry.
鈥淪enators are sophisticated enough to be able to determine that this hearing was for accountability, if there was corruption or violation of the antigraft law,鈥� Pimentel told reporters.
Editor鈥檚 note: This has been updated to correct an erroneous headline.