The Sandiganbayan issued precautionary hold departure orders (HDOs) Tuesday against Benguet Representative Eric Yap and his brother, former ACT-CIS Repesentative Edvic Yap, to prevent them from leaving the country while facing corruption allegations.

The Bureau of Immigration was served with the orders following a request filed Monday by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the prosecuting arm of the Office of the Ombudsman.

The orders stem from criminal complaints filed on 23 October 2025, by the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano explained that such orders are requested during the preliminary investigation stage to ensure respondents deemed as flight risks remain within the court’s jurisdiction.