Former Department of Agriculture secretary and Bohol 3rd District Rep. Arthur Yap posted a P300,000 bail on Tuesday at the Sandiganbayan 3rd Division in connection with his alleged involvement in the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam cases he is facing as former DA chief.
Yap paid a total of P300,000 —P60,000 for 2 graft cases, 40,000 for malversation and P200,000 for malversation through falsification.
Yap is the co-accused of former Misamis Occidental 1st District Rep. Marina Clarete who is facing 18 counts of graft, seven counts of malversation and 11 counts of malversation through falsification.
The Office of the Ombudsman accused Clarete of entering into ghost projects through dubious non-government organizations involving P62 million in PDAF.
Yap was allegedly involved in one project by entering into a Memorandum of Agreement with National Agribusiness Corp., a government implementing agency.
The P300,000 bail Yap posted comes after the court issued a resolution finding probable cause against Clarete and her co-accused on August 15.
The court also ordered the arrest of Clarete and several co-accused.
“After a careful review of the record, the Court finds that probable cause exists in these cases, pursuant to Section 5, Rule 11 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure,” the court said.
“Accordingly, let warrants of arrests be issued against all the accused. Likewise, let Hold Departure Orders be issued against them,” it added.
During the hearing of the various motions filed by Yap before the court, Presiding Justice and 3rd Divsion Chairperson Amparo Cabotaje-Tang reminded the prosecution of a Supreme Court decision on Luzviminda Yap vs. Sandiganbayan against not recommending bail for malversation through falsification.
In the malversation through falsification charge filed by the Office of the Ombudsman, government prosecutors indicated “no bail recommended.”
But because of Luzviminda Yap vs. Sandiganbayan, the court granted Yap’s motion to fix bail which is why he was able to post P200,000 bail for his malversation through falsification case.