Solon says graft rap over car plan ‘unfair’

Arthur Yap —LEO UDTOHAN

TAGBILARAN CITY—Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap said the graft case filed against him in the Sandiganbayan over a car plan for employees of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) was “unfair” and “unjust” because he never signed the terms and conditions of the plan.

“We found it very unfair and we will really fight the case very aggressively,” Yap told reporters here on Friday.

Yap, who as secretary of the Department of Agriculture chaired the PhilRice board of trustees, said he was not present when the board drafted and approved the rules of the car plan.

Yap, who served as agriculture secretary under the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was charged with violations of Section 3(e) and 3(g) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibited public officials from causing undue injury to the government and giving unwarranted benefits to private parties.

The Ombudsman accused Yap and eight PhilRice officials of approving a car plan that allowed 10 employees to obtain personal loans from the Philippine National Bank (PNB), which were secured with PhilRice’s funds from 2008 to 2009.

Yap said the plan to set up a car plan for PhilRice employees was discussed during the 52nd board meeting in November 2008, but he had told the board to make sure the terms would be advantageous to the government and that proper procedures should be followed.

Barely two months later, on Jan. 30 the following year, the PhilRice director issued an administrative order on the offer to provide car loans to deserving employees, but Yap said he was not present in the meeting when the board approved the program.

“Let me say it again: I was not in the board meeting. Neither did I avail of any [vehicle] from this car plan, so why am I being held liable?” asked Yap.