By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
As of June 6, 2025 Benguet still has no proclaimed congressman. First time in the last 40 years that this happened, even if the supposed winner, Congressman Eric Yap, won by a landslide
Yap got 144,093 votes which was more than twice the total votes garnered by three other candidates, according to results. The people of Benguet had spoken. Despite such clear mandate, 7 disqualification cases were filed against Yap; 6 after the elections, one before May 12, 2025.
Is it for justice or personal interests?
Anyone has all the rights to file such things so, let’s give the benefit of the doubt to the filers. Bless them, even if what they had done is not a good precedent.
Here are the bases of the 7 disqualifications cases: 1. not a natural-born Filipino citizen; 2. Lack of the one-year residency in Benguet; and 3. Vote- buying. Because most of them are practically the same, one wonders why they did not just consolidated them into one or two cases.
According to Yap himself, the filed cases are bereft of any supporting documents. “Wala naman silang nailatag na edidensiya sa mga charges nila,” he said. But instead of filing lawsuits against those involved, he chose to give them time to withdraw the same, maintaining that it is better for everyone to work together so Benguet residents could be served better.
I have met congressman Yap only 2x before, in very brief casual encounters. I don’t even know if he can still remember me. He strikes me as a low-key, very humble human being and a good public servant who cares for Benguet.
Yap was actually born in Metro Manila, and finished an architecture course in UST. One of his siblings is a current councilor of Quezon city; another was also a party list representative. No questions about not being a natural-born Filipino. So, the wild claim of some that Yap is like the Alice Guo of Benguet is definitely like an idea straight out from a scifi movie. The congressman was already in the Lower House as one of the 3 ACT-CIS Party List representatives in 2016. No one then questioned his citizenship.
Then he served as the caretaker of Benguet when the action man, then Congressman Nestor Fongwan was recalled back by the Man from above last Dec. 2019. Naturally he became a willing permanent resident of Benguet, specifically in Itogon municipality. After an initial cool attitude of local officials, he became an adopted son of Benguet in May, 2020. How long was that until now?
As to the vote-buying issue, pieces of evidence should really be presented, if there are. But where are they?
The way the mid-term election results for congressman of Benguet is being treated by a few is out of tune with how Benguet people view things. For instance, they accept the people’s mandate in an election which is considered clean, orderly, and fair.
The huge 70% of the total voters who cast their vote for Yap should be enough to make people with ulterior motives to refrain from undertaking misadventures.
Yap considers the filing of charges as a mockery of the smooth election processes. It is resulting in Yap’s estimate, to huge damage for Benguet. Before, election losers in Benguet were never mentioned along sore election losers. That will probably change now because of the charges filed. If such lawsuits will not be withdrawn, Benguet will henceforth be cited as a place where losing election candidates don’t know how to accept defeat; and a place of heartaches for winning candidates.
The people of Benguet are so familiar with what congressman Yap had done for the province-in every town. That’s why he got overwhelming support from the voters.
This is also the reason why, last May 28, a rally at the parking lot of the La Trinidad Public market was attended by a large crowd to support Yap.
For those not in the know, Yap is a very active legislator. He was one of the principal authors of the law establishing the Malasakit centers; also one of the main authors of H. B.7778- for the establishment of the Cordillera Autonomous Region; also the primary author of H.B. 00317 – that aims to convert La Trinidad into a component city of Benguet. He had already filed some 427 H.Bills as principal author, many of which are related to agriculture, farmers, and Benguet in general. His bills cut across various concerns, and fields like schools, hospitals, evacuation centers, even heritage trees, etc.
So there is Congressman Yap, being hindered by a few to continue his very satisfactory legislative work for the benefit of Benguet and others.
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