Yapha says pork barrel donated to coop, not to Nabcor

Former congressman Antonio Yapha Jr. (Tonee Despojo)

FORMER congressman Antonio Yapha Jr. questioned his inclusion in the list of Cebuano lawmakers who allegedly funneled their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to dubious non-government organizations (NGOs).

Yapha, who was elected vice mayor of Toledo City in last May’s elections, said he never made any transaction with the National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) which was investigated by the Senate blue ribbon committee last Thursday.

“I will just wait for whatever happens after this. For me, I am open to answering all their allegations,” he told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.

Yapha represented Cebu’s 3rd district from 1998 to 2007, said he never made any transaction with Nabcor or knew its president, Honesto Baniqued.

He said the only NGO who benefited from his pork barrel was a local community credit cooperative and Gawad Kalinga through the local government units (LGUs) in his district.

Yapha was among five former Cebu congressmen whose names were mentioned in the ongoing Senate investigation on the P10 billion pork barrel fund scam.

Aside from Yapha, Baniqued also tagged former congressmen Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City south district), Pablo John Garcia (Cebu 3rd district), Eduardo Gullas (Cebu 1st district), and Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu 6th district).

According to Yapha, most of his ‘pork’ throughout his nine-year stint in the Lower House was channeled directly to Toledo City and the towns of Aloguinsan, Asturias, Balamban, Barili, Pinamungahan, Tuburan and Tabuelan.

The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) was also made an implementing agency, he said.

“I directed most of the funds direct to the cities so I’m surprised why it came out like that,” he said.