The Sandiganbayan will proceed with the trial of former Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, now a Bohol representative, in connection with an employee car plan deemed disadvantageous to the government. In a 32-page resolution dated Dec. 5, the court’s Sixth Division denied Yap’s motion to quash and affirmed that the elements of valid graft charges were sufficiently stated to warrant a full-blown trial. ADVERTISEMENTThe cases stemmed from the approval of a car plan, which, from 2008 to 2009, allowed 10 Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) employees to use the agency’s funds to secure personal loans they obtained from the Philippine National Bank (PNB). Yap argued that he was absent during the meeting of the PhilRice board of trustees when the car plan was approved. ‘Matters of defense’But the court said these were “matters of defense” that would have to be proven with evidence and taken up in the trial.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 09, 2018 21:33 UTC