Accused in P45-M fertilizer fund scam allowed to travel as firm’s guest of honor

The Sandigandiganbayan on Friday allowed Deputy Speaker Arthur Yap to travel to Quanzhou, China as a guest of honor at the launching of Megaworld Corporation's first residential development outside the Philippines.

The Sixth Division granted the motion to travel of Yap in open court.

Yap had said he would travel to China on October 10 to 12 upon the invitation of Megaworld chairman and chief executive officer Andrew Tan.

The prosecution opposed the trip saying Yap failed to establish its necessity and he had yet to submit a detailed itinerary for the three-day visit.

Yap, through defense counsel Deogracias Fellone, said he was only accepting the invitation of Tan and he would not be a flight risk being an incumbent congressman and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.

"Mr. Yap assures this honorable court that he will return as scheuled. He has no qualms facing the charges against him, knowing that he is innocent of them. It bears stressing that he never attempted to flee the country despite the numerous cases filed against him," Yap said in his motion.

Division chairperson Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez said it would allow the lawmaker to attend the launching event of Megaworld as long as he would submit his undertaking and travel authority from the House secretary general.

"We will grant the motion to travel," Fernandez said.

Yap is facing graft charges at the Sandiganbayan over the alleged anomalous purchase of fertilizers worth P46.45 million and on the supposed  irregular car loan plans given to the former board of trustees of the Philippine Rice Research Institute.  —NB, GMA News