Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap has become the newest victim of political turmoil engulfing the Philippines as he announced his resignation Thursday.

Charged with tax evasion by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) , Yap said he did not want to be entangled into the political maneuvers going on in the county and wanted to clear himself of false charges.

Yap was one of the best performing cabinet members of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the country's agriculture is showing signs of recovery despite the typhoons late last year and drought brought about by El Nino.

His resignation is undoubtedly a big blow to the country's agriculture, which remained stagnant due to a poverty-stricken majority of rural population.

Yap said he decided to resign to prevent perceptions of a possible whitewash in the investigation of the tax evasion case against him.

"I believe that I must clear my name, not as a public official, but as an ordinary citizen of the Republic," the ethnic Chinese secretary said at a press conference at the agriculture department office.

He added that he would be ineffective as agricultural secretary because of perceptions that he is a tax evader.

Yap said he submitted his resignation Wednesday night after talking to President Arroyo, and the President accepted his resignation.

He said he would remain at his post until the President names his replacement.

The BIR earlier accused Yap and his father, Domingo, of failing to pay 4 million pesos in taxes during 1997-98, when they were running a family company. Yap denied the charges.

Yap became the highest government ranking official to be charged with tax evasion in the BIR campaign targeting tax wrongdoers.

Yap's resignation also partially proved media reports that he was part of an impending Cabinet revamp because of his alleged connection to first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

But he said he had never met with the first gentleman until he entered the government in July 2004.

An ABS-CBN report, quoting unnamed sources close to President Arroyo, said the president would purge her cabinet of at least four secretaries and two other officials close to her husband. The announcement will reportedly be made on Friday.

Among those reportedly to be sacked were Transport Secretary Leandro Mendoza, Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and chief presidential legal counsel Merceditas Gutierrez, the report said.

The move was apparently aimed at saving Arroyo's presidency by making concessions to the opposition, which is calling for her resignation over alleged election fraud and involvement of her husband and son in the illegal gambling business, known as jueteng here.

Source: Xinhua