By I. Inojales | 07:26 PM December 16, 2025
MANILA — A quo warranto petition has been lodged before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) seeking the removal of Murang Kuryente party-list Rep. Arthur “Art” Yap over alleged disqualification from holding public office.
The case arose from a February ruling of the Office of the Ombudsman that found Yap and several others administratively liable for actions allegedly committed during his term as governor of Bohol. The Ombudsman ordered Yap’s dismissal from government service.
Docketed as HRET Case No. 25-017, the petition challenges Yap’s authority to sit in the House of Representatives on the ground of ineligibility. Petitioner Edgardo Ingking, a member of the anti-corruption group Lihok Bol-anon Batok Korapsyon, claimed that Yap falsely declared in his Certificate of Nomination and Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination that he met all legal qualifications and had no disqualifications.
The petition cited Section 7, Rule III of the Ombudsman’s Rules of Procedure, as amended by Administrative Order No. 17, which states that Ombudsman decisions are immediately executory and are not suspended by the filing of an appeal.
Ingking asserted that Yap remains dismissed from government service and perpetually barred from holding public office, and therefore lacks the legal authority to serve as Murang Kuryente’s first nominee in the House.
If the HRET rules in favor of the petition, Yap’s seat would be transferred to the party-list group’s second nominee.
Murang Kuryente was proclaimed a winning party-list group by the Commission on Elections in October, along with two others, after the poll body canceled the registration of the Duterte Youth Party-list, which had been entitled to three seats in the May elections.
Yap has not yet issued a statement on the petition.
