Ex-Comelec chair Andy Bautista not in US DOJ custody, official says

NEW YORK - The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) denied reports that former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andy Bautista is under their custody. 

“Thank you for reaching out to confirm accuracy. Juan Andres Donato Bautista (Andy Bautista) is not in U.S. custody, and we decline to comment further,” U.S. DOJ Spokesperson Nicole Navas Oxman told GMA Integrated News. 

Bautista is currently facing multiple charges of money laundering in the southern district court of Florida.

Last September 19, the Department of Homeland Security and Investigations indicted Bautista for Conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, promotional money laundering, and concealment money laundering.

The following month, the United States government asked Comelec to provide documents for the case against Bautista. It is alleged that Bautista violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The team sent by the Department of Justice to gather documentary evidence and interview some employees of the poll body has returned to America.

"The US government had coordinated and sought the assistance of the Comelec. In fact, they asked us for some documents and they even asked us to interview certain people from the commission and we fully assisted, we fully participated," said Comelec Chairman George Garcia back in October.

It is still unclear whether there will be a superseding indictment against Bautista as a result of the US Department of Justice investigators' trip to the Philippines.

It is also unclear if Bautista is still in the United States. 

Bautista has denied the allegations on X, formerly Twitter. He said he was ready to respond to the alleged charges at the proper forum and time. —VAL, GMA Integrated News