Court of Appeals issues freeze order vs Silverwolves, Yaps in House

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, December 9, announced that the personal accounts and assets of one-time House appropriations chairperson Benguet Representative Eric Yap were among those ordered frozen by the Court of Appeals (CA) in relation to anomalous flood control projects being probed by his administration. 

In a recorded message released early December 9, Marcos said the CA’s freeze order covers bank accounts, assets, and aircraft connected to Silverwolves Construction Corporation at Sky Yard Aviation Corporation, as well as the personnal accounts of Yap and his brother Edvic, who represents ACT-CIS in the House. 

Marcos, in his latest report to the public, said over P16 billion in projects were awarded to Silverwolves between 2022 to 2025, many of them related to the Department of Public Works and Highway’s flood control efforts. 

The President said the following were ordered frozen by the CA: 

• 280 bank accounts 
• 22 insurance policies 
• Three securities accounts 
• 8 aircraft, including airplanes and helicopters related to Sky Yard Aviation

Marcos also annoucned he expects an arrest warrant to be issued against controversial contractor Sarah Discaya this week. “Hindi na rin magtatagal ang pag-aresto sa kanya (Her arrest will happen soon thereafter),” said Marcos. 

Silverwolves is named in a bid-rigging and criminal complaints filed by the DPWH. Eric Yap, who once represented ACT-CIS in Congress, was chairperson of the powerful appropriations committee beginning 2020 until the end of the 18th Congress.

The President had took it upon himself to announce — usually through recorded video messages — updated related to the investigation of anomalous flood control projects in the Philippines. It’s a corruption scandal — triggered by Marcos himself in July 2025 — that’s reached most corners of government, including those close to Malacañang and the President himself.  

“Kailangan natin ang mga freeze order na ito para hindi maibenta ang mga ari-arian at para maibalik natin sa ating mga kababayan ang bawat pisong pinaghihinalaang ninakaw (We need these freeze orders to stop the sale of these assets and to ensure that each peso believed to be stolen from the Filipino people is returned),” said Marcos, son and namesake of a late dictator whose reign was characterized by the looting of public coffers. 

“Magpapatuloy ang imbestigasyon. Magpapatuloy ang pagpapanagot. At sisiguraduhin ng pamahalaan na ang pera ng bayan ay maibabalik sa taumbayan (The investigation will continue. Accountability will continue. And we will make sure that the nation’s funds will be returned to the Filipino),” he added. 

Yet Marcos has not addressed, directly or specifically, allegations made against those closest to him — including a new iteration of pork that benefited his son Majority Leader Sandro Marcos and cousin former House speaker Martin Romualdez, the most.

Malacañang has made blanket denials of corruption allegations made against Marcos and his relatives, particularly those that come from former ally and one-time appropriations chairperson Zaldy Co, who has been releasing video-recorded exposes from outside the Philippines.

Marcos has also yet to directly address the ties a longtime aide of his has to a newly-created construction firm that bagged over P250 million in contracts in his hometown of Ilocos Norte. Jojo Cadiz, appointed justice undersecretary by Marcos in 2022, has since stepped down. – Rappler.com