BY JOB REALUBIT

AGRICULTURE Secretary Arthur Yap yesterday said his father-in-law is not in the rice trading business, contrary to the allegation of Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. who raised the issue of conflict of interest.

"My father-in-law (Jimmy Gaw) was never involved in grains importing or trading. It is very sad for me and for our family that a senior statesman like Senator Pimentel can make such allegations without sufficient proof and basis," he said.

Pimentel said he has nothing to apologize for as he merely posed the question of whether Gaw is engaged in rice trading.

Pimentel said he received reports that Gaw is "supposedly a cereal trader, either of rice or corn," in Metro Manila.

"So I said, he has to reply to my question if this is true, because if this is true there’s a conflict of interest," he said. "If it is not true, why will we bother investigating? That will be a waste of time."

He added: "In other words if Jimmy Gaw is not involved in any way, directly or indirectly, in the cereal business, then that issue is dead… We are no longer living under medieval times where ordinary people who tended to criticize those in power wound up losing their heads. That is no longer happening. If Secretary Yap does not know that, I am sorry for him and for the people."

Chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Antonio Apostol said Pimentel should apologize for such "loose talk."