Benguet Cong. Yap files multiple cases against critics anew

La Trinidad, Benguet - From social media rants to fabricated documents, Benguet representative Eric Go Yap said his critics have gone too far and the law will be his answer.  

Earlier this year, Yap had already turned to the courts, where he filed a cyber libel case against a Facebook user whom he accused of maligning him with repeated defamatory posts online. 

He also lodged a complaint for falsification of documents before the DOJ Prosecution Service in La Trinidad after two individuals allegedly fabricated a birth certificate under his name, which was used to support disqualification petitions against him during the May 2025 elections. 

With a warrant of arrest already issued against one of the accused in a cybercrime case, Yap said the fight isn't over yet. 

On Saturday, September 13, Yap confirmed that he has submitted several cases against people he has accused anew of disseminating false information, altering public records, and conducting online assaults aimed at undermining his reputation.

“I started filing cases (two cases filed to date) and will be filing more soon—I have to do this, not out of spite but out of the duty to protect the truth. Kung ano-anong disqualification cases ang naisampa sa atin at marami ding walang tigil sa pagpapakalat ng mali-mali o out-of-context na mga balita para lang makasira sa atin kaya may warrant of arrest na ang unang nakasuhan,” Yap said in a Facebook post.  

Yap said that he pursued legal action against his accusers because the barrage of allegations, ranging from fabricated birth certificates to endless social media posts, shifted from mere criticism to harassment.

The lawmaker also reiterated that his decision to file complaints was not motivated by personal anger or something he enjoys, but by a sense of duty. For him, the courtroom, rather than Facebook, is the correct place to fight back.

“I decided to pursue legal action and will continue doing so because it is the proper thing to do. We respect the due process; that's why we bring it to the proper forum and not into the circus of social media,” he added.  

Despite the controversies, Yap vowed not to be distracted from his work as Benguet representative in his third and final term and will remain ‘unfazed.’ 

“This is my last term, my last three years, and I am not here to please everybody. But I will not allow myself to lose focus on what matters most—a better way of living for everybody. Dark clouds up ahead, but we will weather this storm. Magtulungan po tayo i-angat ang bawat isa at hindi mag-hilahan pababa. Para sa Benguet,” he concluded.