CHAIRMAN of the House committee on appropriations and ACTS-CIS Rep. Eric Go Yap challenged the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) to show proof that he is involved in the corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In a press conference via Zoom, Yap said he is willing to resign as member of the House of Representatives if the PACC can prove he is guilty of corruption.
“Kung mapatunayang sangkot ako sa korupsiyon, handa akong magbitiw bilang Representative ng ACT-CIS, caretaker ng Benguet district at chairman ng appropriations committee,” Yap said.
According to Yap, he never participated in the bidding process for the projects in Benguet province to which he was assigned as caretaker.
“Nung naatasan akong maging caretaker ng Benguet, tapos ang bidding para sa mga proyekto dito. Ni minsan hindi ako nakialam sa bidding. Ang tangi ko lang ginagawa ay nag-iikot ako sa Benguet para makita ko ang pangangailangan ng aking mga kababayan,” Yap said.
Also, on another issue, Yap said he never asked as a favor from the DPWH the assignment of a certain Lorna Ricardo as District Engineer in the province.
“Sana ginawa muna ng PACC ang trabaho nito na mag-imbestiga ng mas malalim,” Yap said adding that he only called PACC commissioner Greco Belgica to inquire about the case of Lorna Ricardo.
He described as “witchhunting” the PACC’s move to list down solons allegedly involved in the corruption without proper investigation and verification.
Meanwhile, Yap said he will file a resolution calling for an investigation in the alleged anomaly in Duty Free Philippines in which Belgica is reportedly involved and facing complaints.
Yap said the Duty Free issue could have triggered Belgica to link members of the House to DPWH corruption.
“Hindi kami binigyan ni Belgica ng tamang proseso. Pero sa House ipapakita ko sa kanya ang tamang pag-iimbestiga at bibigyan namin siya ng pagkakataon na linisin ang pangalan niya,” Yap added.
Yap is among the lawmakers named by President Rodrigo Duterte as involved in corruption in DPWH. The list came from PACC.
Before reading the names, Duterte said that the inclusion in the list doesn’t mean there is hard evidence against them.
“The public should be aware that there is no hard evidence, that it cannot be translated by just reading the names that they are already guilty because presumption of innocence would like all throughout until conviction or acquittal,” Duterte said.
“I just want to assure everybody that yung pagbasa sa pangalan ninyo is (not) a condemnation or indictment that you are guilty of something. In the same manner that I would tell people, do not take it as a gospel truth na totoo talaga ito,” the president added.
