Yanson Matriarch Wins Legal Battle Over Bus Empire

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

The protracted legal feud within the Yanson family over control of one of Southeast Asia’s largest bus companies has reached a pivotal conclusion.

The Bacolod City Regional Trial Court Branch 45 ruled last month that the extrajudicial settlement (EJS) of the late patriarch Ricardo Yanson’s estate is null and void, affirming matriarch Olivia Yanson’s majority ownership.

Following Ricardo Yanson’s death in 2015, Olivia and their six children executed the EJS to settle his estate. The agreement stipulated that Olivia would waive her one-seventh inheritance share in favor of her children while retaining her 50% conjugal share of the Yanson Group of Bus Companies (YGBC), which includes Vallacar Transit Inc. and Ceres Transport Inc.

However, Olivia later discovered that annexes were attached to the EJS after she had signed it, making it appear she had relinquished her entire conjugal share to her children.

Four of her children—Ricky, Roy, Celina, and Emily—used this document to claim majority ownership of the bus company.

The court noted, “Mrs. Yanson felt defrauded and prejudiced when she was asked to sign the EJS without informing her that she was deprived of her 50-percent share in the conjugal partnership of gains.”

Since Olivia did not consent to the alleged waiver of her shares, the court deemed the EJS null and void.

This ruling consolidates control of YGBC with Olivia and her two other children, Ginnette and Leo Rey.

The Yanson Group operates more than 4,000 buses nationwide, making it the largest bus company in the Philippines.

The family dispute has been marked by multiple legal battles. In 2019, the “Yanson Four” attempted a takeover of Vallacar Transit Inc., leading to a series of court cases.

Recently, the Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of qualified theft, falsification, and perjury complaints filed by the Yanson Four against their mother and siblings, further solidifying Olivia’s position.