PNP, workers trapped in Yanson clan feud

By: Dolly Yasa

ASIDE from Ceres bus workers, the Philippine National Police finds itself caught in the ongoing dispute within the Yanson clan, owner of the biggest bus firm in Visayas and Mindanao.

In a statement, the group of Roy Yanson, president and CEO of Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI) and the Yanson Group of Bus Companies (YGBC) slammed the purported harassment committed by the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 based in Cebu.

Roy, who replaced his younger brother Leo Rey in the YGBC and VTI helm, was referring to the July 26, 2019 incident at one of their bus terminals in Bagacay village, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

“Led by a certain Deputy Rolly Lauron, these PNP personnel entered our premises after reportedly receiving reports that several individuals had illegally entered the premises. Eventually, they changed tune and said that they were inspecting members of our newly designated security agency, AY76, for reported violations of the security guard code,” Roy claimed.

He said the police began arresting five blue guards “without the appropriate arrest warrants.29

“With the assistance of our recently retired security agency AGNSA, they managed to extricate five more blue guards who were sleeping inside the company’s resting quarters. PNP personnel then surrounded our gate. At eleven in the evening, more PNP personnel arrived, this time led by a certain Lt. Jose Edrohil Cimafranca. The remaining members of our security personnel were immediately placed under arrest without any justification. All our security personnel were hauled to the PNP provincial headquarters and charged with trespassing. At the inquest proceedings, all those arrested were found innocent of these charges and were set free.”

Roy said they will prepare cases against the police officers involved in the incident.

“I urge PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde to call for an independent probe on why state security forces got involved in the internal political dynamics of our company and recommend appropriate administrative sanctions against some uniformed personnel who took part in this travesty of justice,” he added.

 

 

‘DON’T LOOK AT ME’

Meanwhile, Leo Rey said his four siblings – Roy, Celina, Emily and Ricardo Jr. – are the ones disrupting their company’s operations.

“Time and time again, Mr. Roy V. Yanson, Emily Yanson, Celina Lopez and Ricky Yanson, find ways to disrupt the company operations and blame me in the process,” Leo Rey said in a statement sent to media outfits on July 26, 2019.

“This after the four again tried again to take over the north terminal, this morning. They are the ones who are disrupting the momentum of this great company and who are making a mockery of all our company’s progress,” Leo Rey said.

“Let me be clear: It was they who held an illegal meeting/election, assaulted Mansilingan Head Office with armed personnel and resorted to police oppression to gain control of Bacolod South.”

He said that the filing of an injunction case against him muddles further the case that he originally filed against the Yanson 4.

With Leo Rey in the ongoing feud with his 4 siblings are his sister Ginnette and mother Olivia.

“This is surely done to hide the main issue that their takeover is illegal and to cover up their dirty tactics to gain control of the company,” he added.

Leo Rey said that last July 20, despite the denial of the TRO that they filed and with an existing agreement (inside the judge’s sala) not to further escalate tensions, Roy proceeded to the south terminal and forced his way in.

He said Roy justified this by an order signed by a certain Gen. Romana of Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (SOSIA).

The order of PNP’s SOSIA to replace the guards on Sambok terminal was based on a letter to Police Gen. Noli Romana, SOSIA head, terminating the security contract with AGNSA.

“Roy Yanson conveniently failed to mention to the SOSIA that this is not a standard replacement of security agencies and there’s an existing intra corporate dispute among us pending before RTC 54, Bacolod City. In the said order, Col. John Trio was only ordered to assist in the PEACEFUL turn-over the security provider. Instead he acted as Mr. Roy Yanson’s personal goon and manhandled the AGNSA security guards who were merely protecting the Sambok terminal. He also threatened the guards of revoking their licenses,” Leo Rey claimed.

Trio has yet to comment on Leo Rey’s claims.

As to the Dumaguete incident, Leo Rey said it was Roy who “attacked the Dumaguete shop at midnight bringing with them more armed guards and once again forcefully took over another company property.”

“It never occurred to me that my own siblings would resort to something so blatantly illegal and desperate. It saddens me to realize that my siblings think that they are all above the law. With this, I implore Roy, Emily, Celina and Ricky to respect the status quo and wait for the decision of the court regarding the case of injunction I originally filed against them. For the sake of all our employees, they must follow the law,” he added.