A manager of the agency that provides security to Vallacar Transit Inc., the country’s largest bus line operator, has filed a criminal case against the four Yanson siblings and their accomplices for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
Jerome Seballos, a resident of Bacolod City and the admin manager of Armored Guard Negros Security Agency, filed the complaint before the Office of Bacolod City Prosecutor on Aug. 30, 2019 against Ricardo Yanson Jr., Roy Yanson, Emily Yanson, and Ma. Lourdes Celina Yanson Lopez along with Police BGen. Noli Romana, PCol. Jomil John Trio and their accomplices.
The complaint is a part of the unresolved dispute over the ownership of VTI between the camp of the four Yanson siblings and their brother VTI president Leo Rey Yanson who is supported by his mother
Olivia Yanson and sister Ginnette Yanson Dumancas.
Seballos filed the case against the respondents for allegedly conspiring, cooperating and confederating with each other in the violation of Republic Act No. 9516 or illegal/unlawful possession of firearms, ammunition or explosives.
The complainant said the case arose from the discovery of 10 Molotov incendiary bombs, 10 wooden sticks, and 69 assorted steel pipe on Aug. 10 in the premises of VTI Main Office in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City while AGNSA personnel were conducting clearing operations after being reinstalled as the authorized security guards of VTI.
Established in 1968, the 52-year-old VTI founded by the late Ricardo Yanson Sr. and his wife Olivia Yanson, is considered the largest bus conglomerate in the Philippines transporting goods and 700,000 passengers daily. It is the company behind Ceres Liner, Ceres Tours, Sugbo Transit and Sugbo Tours.
VTI has 15 terminals across Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. The Yanson Group, the parent company, operates 4,800 bus units run by 18,000 employees. VTI’s main office is located at Ceres Compound, Purok Himaya, Mansilingan, Bacolod City.
On July 7, 2019, the four Yanson siblings in a purported special board meeting, unceremoniously unseated Leo Rey Yanson as the president of VTI. Leo Rey was subsequently replaced by his eldest brother Roy Yanson but Leo Rey with the support of his mother, Olivia V. Yanson and sister Ginnette Y. Dumancas, refused to step down.
On July 7, the four Yanson siblings backed by the security guards of A-Y 76 Security Specialists Inc. took possession and control, with intent to gain, of VTI’s main office.
The four Yanson siblings replaced AGNSA Security Agency with AY-76 Security Guards, using as a cover and means a purported Philippine National Police-Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies order issued by PBGen. Romana.
VTI said the SOSIA order turned out to be illegal and invalid as rectified by SOSIA Order dated Aug. 2 signed by PCol. Michael John F. Dubria.
The company said that on July 20, the four Yanson siblings and their cohorts also unlawfully and criminally took control of the company’s Bacolod South Terminal.
Seballos said the Philippine National Police-Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies issued an order to reinstall the security guards from AGNSA at VTI’s main office on August 2.
“With the aid of PNP’s SOSIA and other law enforcement agencies, our security guards from AGNSA were re-installed as the only and sole authorized security guards of VTI’s Bacolod South Terminal and main office on August 7 and August 9, respectively,” Seballos said.
“The reinstallation of AGNSA guards in VTI’s main office on Aug. 9 was not as smooth as it could be. The implementation lasted for 24 hours, more or less, which started in the morning of August 8. The difficulty in the implementation of the SOSIA order was due to the strong protest shown by respondents RJR, EVY and CYL who were inside the VTI main office during the time as I personally witnessed since I was also in the area waiting for any development,” he said.
“When our AGNSA guards were finally re-installed in the VTI main office on August 9, AGNSA guards immediately conducted clearing operations to ensure the security and safety of the premises. As a result of the clearing operations, we recovered from different parts of VTI main office 10 Molotov incendiary bombs, 10 wooden sticks and 69 assorted steel pipe. We then reported to the police which then issued their corresponding reports,” the complainant said.
He said the deadly weapons were clearly intended to thwart the police from implementing, or make it difficult for them to implement the SOSIA Order dated Aug. 2.