A Bacolod City regional trial court has ordered the arrest of four Yanson siblings and their accomplices for allegedly taking control and possession of several vehicles belonging to Vallacar Transit Inc.
In separate resolutions dated June 4 and June 5, Bacolod City RTC, Branch 53, Presiding Judge Sue Lynn Lowie-Jolingan issued warrants of arrest against Emily Yanson, Roy Yanson, Ricardo Yanson Jr., Maria Lourdes Celina Yanson Lopez and their co-conspirators Jerica Leanne Ramos, Jerina Louise Ramos and Ma. Judy Alcala for violation of Republic Act No. 10883 or the New Anti-Carnapping Act of 2016.
In its June 5 ruling, Judge Lowie-Jolingan also denied the motion filed by the accused to hold in abeyance the issuance of warrant of arrest and scheduled the arraignment and pre-trial on July 17, 2020.
No bail was recommended by the court upon their arrest.
The lower court issued the warrants of arrest against the Yanson siblings after it found probable cause to hold them liable for violation of the new Anti-Carnapping Act.
Court records show that on July 22, 2019, the accused, “conspiring, cooperating and confederating with each other, did then and there, willfully, unlawfully and feloniously took possession and control, with intent to gain” a Mitsubishi L-300 model 2012, Foton wing-van model 2017 and Foton wing-van model 2017 to the damage and prejudice of complainant Vallacar Transit Inc., the country's largest bus operator led by Leo Rey Yanson.
Aside from the three vehicles owned and registered in the name of VTI, a Mitsubishi Delica closed van model 1995 was also included in the complaint filed by the company, but the court dismissed the case involving that vehicle.
The case against the four Yanson siblings and their accomplices arose from a complaint filed by VTI operations manager Gary Manayon against them for grave coercion and carnapping when the 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 on July 7, 2019.
Manayon filed the complaint-affidavit before the City Prosecutor Office in Bacolod City on behalf of the company on August 29, 2019 against the accused for illegal control and possession of the vehicles. VTI uses the vehicles for its “Ceres Bus” daily transport and logistics support.
"The arrest warrant for the accused shall be released and enforced by the proper authorities," Judge Lowie-Jolingan said in the order dated June 5, 2020.
The accused, along with two other individuals, are also the subject of the warrant of arrest issued by Judge Abraham A. Bayona of Branch 7 of the Municipal Trial Court of Bacolod City. In his order, Judge Bayona said there was found probable cause against the four Yanson siblings and their accomplices for the crime of grave coercion and set their bail at P36,000, each.
In the grave coercion case, the accused include Emily Yanson, Roy Yanson, Ricardo Yanson Jr., Maria Lourdes Celina Yanson Lopez and their accomplices Jerica Leanne Ramos, Jerina Louise Ramos, Ma. Judy Alcala, PGen. Noli Romana and PCol. Jomil John Trio.
The grave coercion case was raffled to MTCC-Bacolod, Branch 7 under Criminal Case No. 20-03-34459 while the carnapping cases were raffled to RTC-Bacolod, Branch 53 under Crim. Case Nos. 20-51586 to 89.
Police Col. Anthony C. Gantang, officer-in-charge of CIDG-Negros Occidental, said in a report to the court that when they tried to enforce the warrant on May 31, 2020 and June 1, 2020, that the respondents were not in their homes, with some of them reportedly out of the country.