Construction ongoing in Edvic Yap properties despite asset freeze

Edvic Yap’s assets were frozen before he resigned as congressman last week.

Yet construction of a mansion allegedly owned by him is in full swing in a posh Quezon City village. So is landfilling in an upscale Baguio subdivision lot of his company.

The ombudsman and the Anti-Money Laundering Council are investigating. Both agencies are after his properties, bank accounts and aircraft. Same with those of his elder brother Benguet Rep. Eric Yap.

The Quezon City and Baguio City properties apparently evaded seizure by the Court of Appeals. Otherwise, there would be no ongoing construction or landfilling. Court agents would be guarding the lots.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has indicted Yap for taking P70-million bribe from contractor-spouses Curlee and Sarah Discaya. He told this column that Yap’s resignation Wednesday “has no effect whatsoever on the case.”

DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon has charged the Yaps with malversation in connection with ghost, substandard, overpriced flood control projects.

Malversation is non-bailable and merits life term.

Yap’s Quezon City construction is on three contiguous lots, each 850 square meters. Acquiring it in late 2023 from a showbiz personality, he demolished the old mansion and began erecting a new one.

Din from bulldozers and other heavy equipment disturbed the neighborhood. Work stopped in August at the height of public outcry against the P1.7-trillion flood works scandal. It resumed October with less noise, though still dusty.

At P250,000 per square meter, land alone is worth P637.5 million. Structural cost is usually one-and-a-half times higher. Workers said that aside from the mansion, cabañas will be built around a swimming pool.

Renovation, not building, permit was applied for. Construction has been ongoing for nearly two years.

Landfilling rumble also bothers the Baguio subdivision residents. They’ve been told that on the lot will rise a garage for the Yaps’ vehicles.

Yap did not answer calls and texts to one of his two known mobile numbers. The person who answered the second number said he inherited it from Yap as gardener.

President Bongbong Marcos bared in October that the Yaps’ two construction firms amassed P16 billion in sleazy flood works in 2022-2025. Dizon said that the Yaps colluded with DPWH crooks in fully-paid but unfinished flood works in La Union.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has linked them to P14-billion overpriced highway rock nettings, cat’s eyes and safety roller barriers in the Cordilleras since 2018. Formerly chief of PNP Investigation and Intelligence, Magalong quoted suppliers’ admissions that the Yaps cornered 90 percent of contracts.

Remulla said AMLC traced Discaya bank deposits to Edvic and Eric Yap and their two companies, Silverwolves Construction and Sky Yard Aviation. The Yaps claimed to have divested from the firms in 2023.

CA froze 289 bank accounts of the Yaps, Silverwolves and Sky Yard. Also seized were 22 insurance policies, three securities accounts and eight aircraft.

Edvic Yap was elected ACT-CIS party-list congressman in 2022, then re-elected in May 2025. He was to sit till 2028. No reason was stated in his resignation letter.

Eric Yap was ACT-CIS rep in 2019. He became caretaker-congressman for Benguet in 2020 when the electee died. Alleged by ex-senator Antonio Trillanes to be close to Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, Eric chaired the powerful House appropriations committee in 2020-2022.

Congressmen woo the appropriations chairman for pork barrels in the form of public works, political ayuda and unprogrammed appropriations.

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Two businessmen phoned me Wednesday about my column, “BIR ‘resumes’ notorious LOAs; but were they ever stopped?”

Both said they received in early January Letters of Authority antedated early November 2025. Newspapers reported BIR’s suspension of LOAs on Nov. 24 and resumption on Jan. 27.

The two had similar stories. Taxmen refused to consider sales declines in 2024 that resulted in lower corporate income declarations in early 2025. Both were made to settle their cases during the period when businessmen were supposed to enjoy extortion-free holidays.

The first was issued a BIR official receipt for about P1 million, but paid P5 million under the table. He did not mention the original tax liability.

The second said he was so scared that he also quickly settled with a ratio of 1:5.

They were just so relieved by the taxman’s promise to not bother them for a year.

Both declined to report to authorities. Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson’s Blue Ribbon committee is investigating the LOA extortion racket.

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