Ex-agriculture chief posts P300T bail for 'pork' cases
MANILA — Former Department of Agriculture secretary and incumbent Bohol Third District Rep. Arthur Yap has posted P300,000 bail bond for graft and malversation cases in connection with his alleged involvement in the pork barrel fund scam.
The bail posted by Yap before the Sandiganbayan Third Division Tuesday afternoon was for two counts of graft (P60,000), one count of malversation of public funds (P40,000) and one count of the complex crime of malversation of public through falsification of public documents (P200,000).
Yap posted his bail after the anti-graft court issued a resolution dated August 15, finding probable cause to hold him as well as the primary accused in the cases, former Misamis Occidental First District Rep. Marina Clarete, on trial.
“After a careful review of the records, the Court finds that probable cause exists in these cases... Accordingly, let warrants of arrest be issued against all the accused. Likewise let Hold of Departure Orders be issued against them,” the Third Division's ruling read.
Third Division clerk of court Dennis Pulma, however, clarified that since Yap has already posted his bail, there is no longer a need to issue a warrant of arrest against.
Meanwhile, Clarete and the other respondents in the cases have yet to post bail as of Wednesday afternoon based on the Third Division records.
Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman on August 8, the multiple criminal cases stemmed from the alleged misuse of Clarete's Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel from 2007 to 2009 amounting P62.63 million.
Clarete was charged with 18 counts of graft, seven counts of malversation and 11 counts of malversation through falsification.