Arthur Yap is a Filipino lawyer and politician. He is currently serving as congressman who won as nominee of Murang Kuryente Party-list in the May 2025 election. Previously, he was the governor of Bohol Province in Central Visayas Region.
Running for governor under PDP-Laban Party in the May 13, 2019 election, he narrowly defeated former Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and three other relatively unknown candidates. He ran for re-election in 2022 but lost.
Personal Information
Real Name –> Arthur Cua Yap
Nickname –> Art
Birth Date –> November 10, 1965 (Age )
Birthplace –> Manila, Philippines
Family
Father –> Domingo Yap of Sulu Province
Mother –> Natividad Cua of Dagupan, Pangasinan
Wife –> Carolyne Varquez-Gow of Loboc, Bohol
Children –> 2
Education
Elementary – Xavier School
High School – Xavier School
College – Ateneo de Manila University
Degree – Management Economics
Law School – Ateneo de Manila University
* Passed the Bar in 1992
Work Experiences / Career
2025-2028 – Congressman, Murang Kuryente Party-list
2019-2022 – Governor
2010-2019 – Congressman
2004-2005, 2006-2010 – Secretary of Agriculture
2005 – Director General, Presidential Management Staff
2005 – Presidential Adviser for Job Creation
* Administrator, National Food Authority
2001 – President and CEO, Philippine International Trading Corporation
* Former National President, Philippine Association of Paint Manufacturers
* Founding Partner, Yap, Jacinto, Jacob Law Office
* Associate lawyer at Azcuna, Yorac, Sarmiento, Arroyo, Cua Law Office
Controversies
Throughout his long career in public service, Arthur Yap has been implicated in several high-profile legal controversies, graft cases, and political issues, mostly arising from his tenures as Cabinet Secretary under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and as Governor of Bohol.
1. PDAF / “Pork Barrel” Scam Investigations
During his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture, Yap was named as a co-accused in several graft and malversation complaints filed by the Office of the Ombudsman relating to the misuse of legislators’ Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF).
The Allegations: Prosecutors alleged that Yap signed memoranda of agreement that transferred lawmakers’ PDAF funds to government corporations (like the National Agribusiness Corporation, or NABCOR) and unaccredited, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) without public bidding.
His Defense: Yap maintained that as Agriculture Secretary, he acted in good faith, did not select or directly deal with private NGOs, and merely passed along allocated funds to implementing government agencies as permitted by law.
Case Dismissals: Over time, several of the charges against him were dismissed or dropped by the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan, primarily due to the “inordinate delay” on the part of the prosecution in concluding preliminary investigations, which violated his constitutional right to a speedy disposition of cases.
2. PhilRice Car Loan Plan Case
Yap faced graft charges over an alleged irregular car loan scheme instituted during his term as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) between 2008 and 2009.
The Allegations: The Office of the Ombudsman charged Yap and other PhilRice board members with approving holdout agreements with the Philippine National Bank (PNB) to secure personal car loans for PhilRice executives, which prosecutors argued was disadvantageous to the government.
Supreme Court Acquittal: In January 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in Yap’s favor, officially dismissing the graft cases. The apex court found that the Ombudsman committed excessive delay, taking over three years in preliminary investigations, violating Yap’s right to a speedy trial.
3. Typhoon Odette Disaster Response Controversy (2021)
During his term as Governor of Bohol, Yap faced public pushback and political criticism regarding the local government’s response to Super Typhoon Odette in December 2021:
Relief Distribution backlash: Rumors and social media photos circulated showing cans of sardines branded with “From the Friends of Arthur Yap” distributed to typhoon survivors. Yap publicly denied distributing political relief goods, stating that leftover campaign donations from 2019 had been misused or falsely attributed, while manufacturers confirmed the labels did not originate from their official facilities.
Plea for National Aid: Yap publicly warned of potential looting and unrest due to delayed supplies, calling on the national government for immediate security assets and emergency credit lines. While he defended the move as necessary for public safety, critics accused him of overstating the situation.
RELATED: List of Philippine Members of Congress 2025 – 2028
RELATED: List of Governors of Philippine Provinces 2019 – 2022
See also: Famous People from Bohol Province
See also: Profiles of Philippine Provinces and Tourist Spots