Former Agriculture secretary and Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap was charged with two more graft charges at the Sandiganbayan for approving the alleged anomalous P15.78-million car loan by the employees of the Philippine Rice Research Institute in 2008-2009.
Yap is currently facing two sets of graft cases at the anti-graft court owing to the alleged misuse of Priority Development Assistance Funds of former lawmakers Rodolfo Antonino and Marina Clarete.
Apart from Yap, the Ombudsman filed at the anti-graft court charges against then PhilRice Board of Trustees members Johnifer Batara, Fe Laysa, William Padolina, Winston Corvera, Gelia Castillo, Senen Bacani, Rodolfo Undan and Executive Director Ronilo Beronio.
They were accused of violating Sec. 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for allegedly giving unwarranted benefits to PhilRice employee-beneficiaries, as well as Sec. 3(g) for allegedly entering into contracts or transactions that were disadvantageous to the government several years back.
Also named respondent in the case was a cashier named Fe Lumawag with one count of graft.
The Ombudsman said PhilRice officials including Yap, who then served as Board of Trustees chairperson, launched a car plan program that allowed employees to “obtain personal loans from the Philippine National Bank for the purchase of their private cars, secured by the PhilRice funds through hold-out agreements with PNB [Philippine National Bank].”
It said the private cars were then “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.”
The charge said the two PhilRice officials, Beronio, one of the employee beneficiaries of the car plan, and Lumawag, signed “Hold-Out Agreements with the Philippine National Bank, pursuant to the PhilRice Car Plan instituted by the PhilRice Board of Trustees comprised of the above-named accused.”
“PhilRice’s deposit to PNB to the agreement that said deposit will not be withdrawn until the car/personal loans guaranteed are paid in full amounting to P15,780,000.00.”
Aside from Beronio, other employee-beneficiaries of the car plan were Sophia Borja, Rolando Cruz, Rodolfo Escabarte Jr., Sergio Francisco, Manuel Gaspar, Edgar Libetario, Mario Movillon, Evangeline Sibayan, and Artemio Vasallo.
Aside from the two graft cases, Beronio is also facing another count of graft for allegedly violating Sec. 3(g) of the anti-graft law for having “pecuniary interest” by issuing administrative orders “while being himself a beneficiary of the PhilRice Car Plan.”
