FORMER Bohol governor Arthur C. Yap is facing removal from his being number one nominee of Murang Kuryente at the House of Representatives after a petition for quo warranto has been filed before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET), report published online showed.
HRET Case No. 25-017 based on the petition filed by Edgardo Ingking, questioned Yap’s legal authority to hold public office, citing an alleged perpetual disqualification stemming from an Ombudsman ruling February this year.
Ingking alleged that Yap is perpetually disqualified from government service following the 19 February 2025 decision by the Office of the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman found Yap and seven other provincial government employees guilty of grave misconduct with serious dishonesty during his tenure as Bohol governor. The decision ordered Yap’s dismissal from government service, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and perpetual disqualification from holding public office for holding a national tourism-related event without bidding of the sound system but only after the said event.
Along with Yap’s being punished by the Ombudsman included the incumbent provincial engineer, incumbent provincial budget officer, incumbent mayor of Loon town (who was then BAC member), incumbent provincial prosecutor, Yap’s former chief of staff, his former provincial administrator and former provincial tourism officer.
The petition pointed out that Ombudsman rulings are immediately executory and are not stayed by the filing of an appeal, citing Section 7, Rule III of the Ombudsman’s Rules of Procedure.
The petition claimed that Yap “committed fraudulent misrepresentation by declaring in his certificate of nomination that he possessed all qualifications for the position.”
Commission on Elections proclaimed Yap as Murang Kuryente’s first nominee on 2 October 2025 after it disqualified the initial winner, the Duterte Youth Partylist. (Ric Obedencio)
