Ex-Agri chief Yap: Sandigan rulings contradict Ombudsman findings in similar cases

Former Agriculture secretary and incumbent Bohol Representative Arthur Yap on Tuesday slammed two rulings of the Sandiganbayan that denied his attempts to dismiss the cases against him over the pork barrel fund scam.

In a text message, Yap said the two resolutions of the anti-graft court contradicted the Offic of the Ombudsman’s investigations which he said had already found him innocent in the misuse of PDAF in "similar cases."

“I have filed reconsiderations with the Sandiganbayan because (Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales) herself, in other similar PDAF cases have found me innocent of any wrongdoing since I merely transferred PDAF funds from one government agency to another,” Yap said in a text message.

The former DA chief reiterated that he should not be charged for the offense since it was not his responsibility to release any PDAF.

“I never implemented any PDAF project with an NGO much less release any funds to any NGO,” Yap said.

“If I never released any funds to any NGO, if I never implemented any projects with any NGO, how did I Malverse any government funds?” he added.

In separate rulings, the Sixth and Third Divisions of the Sandiganbayan respectively denied Yap's plea for a judicial determination of probable cause and his quashal motion in a separate case involving co-accused former Misamis Occidental representative Marina Clarete. — MDM, GMA News