Manila: An attempt at the constitutional ouster of Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista has been rejected by the House Justice panel.

Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Justice said a complaint filed by former Representatives Jacinto Paras and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio calling for the ouster of Bautista and accusing the latter of violating the constitution, betraying public trust and wrongful declaration of assets and networth, cannot be entertained because it is “insufficient in form.”

Only three members of the House Justice panel — Rep. Harry Roque and Cavite Rep. Abraham Tolentino and Deputy Speaker Gwen Garcia — voted for endorsing the impeachment complaint against the Commission on Election (Comelec) chair, while 27 members of the panel rejected it.

The rejection was hailed by Bautista, who had been besieged by allegations of corruption.

“I welcome the decision of the House of Representatives Committee on Justice to dismiss the impeachment complaint filed against me,” reports quoted Bautista as saying.

He expressed gratitude to the Committee and the House leadership “for upholding the rule of law and for their objectivity and fairness.”

“This proves to be a significant step in clearing my name after the malicious accusations hurled against me,” he said.

Earlier, Bautista’s estranged wife, Patricia Paz Bautista, went public with accusations of corruption against him.

She accused him of accumulating wealth behind her back, amassing millions of pesos and foreign currency in bank deposits and purchasing posh residences without her knowledge.

Patriciasaid she was “completely shocked and surprised,” upon discovering her husband’s hidden wealth.

She said her husband had always been frugal and that the discovery was unexpected.

“I understand that Andy [Andres Bautista], being a high ranking public official, should be accountable and transparent to the public about all these finances, properties and money which, obviously, he was not,” she said.

Bautista’s Comelec oversees the conduct of elections in the country.