The Office of the Ombudsman is preparing new flood control charges against brothers Eric and Edvic Yap, this time over a project in Benguet, according to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla — a second front in a case that has so far produced one filing, a pile of frozen assets, and very little in the way of a verdict.
According to The Philippine Star (reporter Ghio Ong, Oct. 5, 2026), Remulla said: "The first case we filed against Eric and Edvic Yap was in La Union. But now, I have a new one – it is happening right in Benguet." The charges under consideration, per the same report, are graft, malversation and falsification of public documents tied to flood control anomalies.
What the record shows so far
The Star's account ties the Yaps to roughly ₱16 billion in Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects spanning 2022 to 2025. It also lists the assets frozen in connection with the brothers: 280 bank accounts, 22 insurance policies, three securities accounts and eight aircraft. The report notes that President Marcos ordered an asset freeze the year before, and that Edvic Yap resigned his House seat (ACT-CIS party-list) in February 2026.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, per the Star, has linked Eric Yap to Silverwolves Construction Corp. as its beneficial owner. Remulla indicated that witnesses would testify in the cases.
The arithmetic worth noticing
Eight aircraft and 280 frozen bank accounts make for an impressive inventory. A filed case count of one makes for a less impressive scoreboard. Freezing assets is not convicting anyone: the La Union case remains the only complaint the Ombudsman has publicly identified against the brothers, and the Benguet case is, for now, an announcement. The Star's report, as reviewed, does not say when the new case will be filed, which specific project in Benguet is involved, or how much it is worth.
What we don't know
Neither the Yap brothers' response to the new charges nor the status of the La Union case was included in the report we reviewed. We could not independently confirm the ₱16-billion figure beyond the Star's account, and it is not clear from the report whether that sum represents contracts awarded to firms linked to the Yaps, amounts paid out, or the value of projects under review. Those are different numbers, and the public is entitled to know which one it is.
Context
The Yaps are among the figures swept up in the flood control scandal that has dominated the Ombudsman's docket and Senate hearings this year. A hold departure order was issued against Eric and Edvic Yap in March 2026 over the La Union anomalies, according to The Philippine Star and DZRH reports at the time. Pulpulitiko has also reported on the Sandiganbayan's promise of flood control verdicts "within the year" and on DPWH's own data problems in its 2027 budget request.
Sources
- The Philippine Star, "Ombudsman mulls more cases vs Yap brothers," Ghio Ong, Oct. 5, 2026 — https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/10/05/2561048/ombudsman-mulls-more-cases-vs-yap-brothers
- The Philippine Star, "Hold departure order issued vs Eric Yap, brother," March 4, 2026 — https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/03/04/2511892/hold-departure-order-issued-vs-eric-yap-brother
- DZRH, "Hold departure order issued vs Eric, Edvic Yap over La Union flood control anomalies" — https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/hold-departure-order-issued-vs-eric-edvic-yap-over-la-union-flood-control-anomalies
Suggested category: Investigations. Tags: Ombudsman, Flood Control, Graft, DPWH, Vince Dizon.