Commission on Election (Comelec) Chairperson George Garcia said Friday that former poll body chief Andy Bautista is “innocent until proven guilty.”
On Friday (Philippine time), the United States’ (US) South District of Florida announced the indictment Bautista and three other Smartmatic officials.
“Lahat ng mga kababayan natin ay i-adopt natin yung prinisipyo na lahat ay inosente until proven guilty (All our countrymen should adopt the principle that everyone is innocent until proven guilty),” Garcia said in an ambush interview.
“Ibig sabihin, huwag tayong mag-jump sa conclusion sapagkat alam niyo, kahit naman sinong tao, kahit tayong mga ordinaryong mamamayan, kapag naakusahan pini-presume muna na inosenta hanggang sa magkaroon ng proseso, pagdinig, at ang tamang korte lamang ang magdedesisyon na talagang ang taong yan ay guity (In other words, let's not jump to conclusions because you know, no matter who it is, even if we are ordinary citizens, when accused we are first presumed innocent until there is a process, a hearing, and only the right court will decide that that person is truly guity),” he added.
The Southern District of Florida indicted Baustista along with Smartmatic President Roger Alejandro Piñate Martinez, former general manager of Smartmatic Philippines Elie Moreno, and Smartmatic’s lead in Taiwan Jose Miguez Vasquez.
According to the US Department of Justice, the charges are related to their alleged roles in an alleged bribery and money laundering scheme to retain and obtain business connected to the 2016 elections.
These bribes were allegedly paid to obtain and retain business related to providing voting machines and election services for the 2016 polls and to facilitate payments on the contracts, including the release of value added tax payments.
The bribe payments were allegedly routed through slush funds and covered by fraudulent contracts and loan agreements that spanned money laundering in bank accounts located in Asia, Europe, and the United States, including the South District of Florida.
Bautista, Piñate, Vasquez, and Moreno are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments.