Ex-DA chief breaks silence, denies being part of P15.78-M car loan mess

BOHOL, Philippines – Former agriculture secretary and incumbent Bohol Third District Representative Arthur Yap denied involvement in the alleged P15.78-million car loan scheme availed of by employees of the Philippine Rice Research Institue (PhilRice).

The loan had been questioned at the Office of the Ombudsman and the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.

“Why am I being held liable for a car policy I did not vote on, let alone approve?” Yap said in a statement emailed to this reporter. He was reacting to another case filed against him.

The former DA secretary is also facing a string of graft and corruption complaints over his alleged involvement in the multi-million-peso pork barrel scam allegedly facilitated by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and several lawmakers in the country.

Yap was chairman of PhilRice’s Board of Trustees (BOT) who allegedly approved a car loan scheme that violated Sections 3 (e) and 3 (g) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

While Section 3 (e) deals with any acts that would cause “undue injury to any party, including the Government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence,” Section 3 (g) prohibits government officials from “entering, on behalf of the Government, into any contract or transaction manifestly and grossly disadvantageous to the same, whether or not the public officer profited or will profit thereby.”

Yap, however, admitted that on November 5, 2008, as chairman of the PhilRice BOTs, he did attend the 52nd meeting of the Board of Trustees (BOT) “where the possibility of setting up a car plan to be utilized by qualified and deserving Philrice employees – but subject to guidelines most advantageous to the government – was discussed.” 

He claimed that on January 30, 2009, the PhilRice director issued a Car Plan Administrative Order. 

But Yap clarified: “I had no participation in the formulation of the said Order.”

“Neither did I at any time consent, approve, or acquiesce to the rules and guidelines covering this car plan,” said Yap, who is ending his third and final term as member of the House of Representatives.

Recently, Yap’s name was floated as a potential contender in the race for governor of Bohol in the 2019 mid-term elections. 

Yap further revealed that on June 19, 2009, a 54th PhilRice BOT meeting was held, “where the Car Plan Guidelines were discussed and allegedly approved.”

“However, I was not present during that 54th meeting. Let me say again: I was not at the Board Meeting,” Yap said, stressing, “Neither did I avail of any car because of this car plan. Why am I being held liable?”

Information filed

According to the information filed with the Sandiganbayan, Yap, former PhilRice BOT members Johnifer Batara, Fe Laysa, William Padolina, Winston Corvera, Gelia Castillo, Senen Bacani, Rodolfo Undan, cashier Fe Lumawag, and former PhilRice executive director Ronilo Beronio, had allegedly managed to “obtain personal loans from the Philippine National Bank (PNB) for the purchase of their private cars, secured by the PhilRice funds through hold-out agreements with PNB.”

Court records said the cars were allegedly “leased by PhilRice for the official use of the beneficiary-employee without the benefit of public bidding, with the beneficiary-employee still entitled to transportation allowance despite the use of an official vehicle.”

Named in the complaint as alleged beneficiaries of the questioned car-loan scheme were Beronio, Sophia Borja, Rolando Cruz, Rodolfo Escabarte Jr., Sergio Francisco, Manuel Gaspar, Edgar Libetario, Mario Movillon, Evangeline Sibayan, and Artemio Vasallo. – Rappler.com