Ceres standoff enters third day

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – The standoff at the main office of Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI), operator of the Ceres Bus Lines, entered its third day on Aug 8, 2019 with police and the security agency tapped by Leo Rey Yanson unable to enter the premises.

The PNP Regional Civil Security Unit (RCSU)-6 was able to re-install AGNSA Security Agency outside the main gate of the VTI head office at Barangay Mansilingan here after almost a day of negotiation with the group of Roy Yanson who is still occupying the office.

Leo Rey and Roy are fighting each other over control of their multibillion peso bus firm under the Yanson Group of Bus Companies.

P/Col. Fidel Dacpano, RCSU-6 head, told reporters “that is what we can do for now, re-install them here.”

Dacpano said there is no specific time frame for the installation of AGNSA inside the Ceres-VTI head office.

He added that 200 police officers will remain in the area to ensure peace and order. He said they will not insist yet in getting inside the premises.

Atty. Shiela Sison, counsel for Roy Yanson who met Dacpano at the gate, told reporters that they agreed with the installation of AGNSA at gate area only.

“They will not be allowed to get inside so they can report here in front of the gate every morning,” Sison said.

The re-installation of AGNSA at the Ceres-VTI head office main gate was ordered by the Supervising Office for Security and Investigation (SOSIA) on Aug 2, 2019, revoking its July 17, 2019 order that installed AY Security Agency which was hired by Roy Yanson to secure Ceres terminals and offices.

AGNSA was redeployed to the Ceres South Terminal Wednesday, causing some ruckus between employees of the bus company loyal to Roy Yanson and the security force.

The Ceres South Terminal was eventually recovered by the camp of Leo Rey Yanson late Wednesday evening after his siblings Roy and Celina vacated the administrative building where they were holed up together with some 100 sympathizers.

Roy and Celina were forced to leave after electricity supply to the building was cut off and their supporters who attempted to bring in food were barred at the gate.

The hullaballoo is an offshoot of the month long tug-of-war between the group of Roy Yanson and Leo Rey for the control of their multi-million bus company.

With Roy are siblings Celina, Emily and Ricardo Jr., while Leo Rey has the support of their sister Ginette and matriarch, Olivia Villaflor Yanson.

On orders of Leo Rey, the public were given free rides from the South Terminal to various destinations from 12 a.m. of Aug 7 to 12 a.m. of Aug.

The free rides were a gesture of apology after the operation of the south Ceres Terminal was suspended for a day.

At the Ceres VTI head office on Thursday morning, several workers were seen bringing in sacks of rice, boxes of groceries, and bottled water after negotiations between SOSIA and RCSU-6 representatives  with Roy Yanson’s group bogged down.

Reporters also saw welding activities behind the gate of the head office.

By afternoon, around 200 policemen formed in front of the gate of the Ceres VTI head office followed by 20 AGNSA guards.

Meanwhile, CHPG provincial head Major Robelito Mariano went to Dynamic Builders Construction depot in Barangay Alijis here to validate a report that missing Ceres buses from the southbound terminal were inside the depot.

Mariano said they asked the guards about it and were informed the buses are there for “safekeeping.”

Atty. Norman Golez, counsel for Leo Rey Yanson, told reporters that the GPS (global positioning satellite) trackers of the “missing buses” led them to the area.

Golez said he verified with Leo Rey whether the buses were there for safekeeping but the latter said he did not authorize it.

Golez said the 35 bus units are considered “missing/stolen” and they are asking the help of the CHPG to recover the vehicles.

Dynamic Builders Construction is owned by Ricardo Yanson Jr., who is allied with Roy.

Golez said the said buses are needed to serve the riding public.