Negros Occ Rep. Yap insists innocence on murder charges

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Representative Melecio Yap (1st district, Negros Occidental) maintained his innocence against accusations linking him to the so-called extra-judicial killings in Escalante City, Negros Occidental, dismissing these as "politically-motivated."

Yap and 13 others were charged before the San Carlos City Regional Trial Court for four counts of murder and a case of frustrated murder. They were also denied bail by the court. He said the evidences presented against him are weak and purely hearsay.

Lawyer Ariel Malunes, counsel of Yap, said a motion for judicial determination of probable cause has been filed in court, seeking to prove to the courts that there is no proof to support the criminal cases filed by the Ombudsman against the congressman.

Pending the court determination of the motions the filed, Malunes said no warrants of arrest were issued against Yap.

"It seems it was murder by insinuation," Yap told Bombo Radyo, saying that he could not be accused as the one who perpetrated the alleged crimes. He added that it seems that "they were implying that he was influencing the New People's Army to commit the crimes. It is an open secret that nobody can dictate the NPA."

Yap also said he has no plan to run away, and he is prepared to face the cases filed against him because he has done nothing wrong. "We know for a fact that the Ombudsman plays politics … I am happy that the case is now in court because there I can defend myself," he said.

"At the Ombudsman, you do not even get to see your accusers, in court at least you will see them face to face," he said. "I do not know most of those who are accusing me," he said.

By winning by landslide during the recent congressional race in the 1st district of Negros Occidental, Yap said it showed of overwhelming acceptance by the people who believe that that he is innocent of the accusations against him.

Ombudsman graft investigation and prosecution officer Laurrie Layne Cristobal, in a consolidated resolution, said the cases stemmed from complaints of extra judicial killings in Escalante City, committed against supporters of former Escalante Mayor Santiago Barcelona, a political opponent of Yap.

The complainants accused Yap and his supporters, and even members of the Roslyn Jean Pelle Command, a vigilante group with ties to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army, of perpetrating the killings. (FREEMAN NEWS)