BY MATÉ ESPINA
“Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness but because you deserve peace.” – Mel Robbins
IT IS easier said than done but forgiveness is doable when you open up your heart and remember the good times.
Mel Robbins, television host and motivational speaker said it best that to forgive someone will earn you peace.
In the case of the squabbling Yanson family, owner of the biggest transport company in the country and are worth billions, the conflict has been elevated to irreversible.
Recent posts that have gone viral, offers a P1 million reward or $20,000 for members of the Yanson family who are believed to be in the United States and Europe because of standing warrants of arrests for them.
I only saw the bounty posts for Roy Yanson, the eldest surviving sibling that was posted in a group chat. I was told that there are similar posts against other siblings but I have yet to see it. I have two acquaintances among the siblings – Roy and Ginnette who are on opposite sides and seeing the post actually made me sad that it has come to this.
I initially waved it off as another black propaganda until I saw that the same notice of reward also posted in the family’s Vallacar Transit Inc. social media page. That affirmed that the bounty is being offered by their own family.
The post claims that Roy is a Filipino fugitive with pending cases of carnapping and grave coercion. The fact that it encourages reporting probably sighting of the person to the nearest police station of Philippine Consulate Office further bolster the belief that Roy and other members of the family are abroad.
It has been two years since the family squabble turned ugly when the so-called Yanson 4 maneuvered a takeover of the company by ousting concurrent President Leo Rey at a time when their mom, Olivia, and Ginnette were out of the country.
That takeover caused a standstill in bus operations from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Each side’s connections brought in generals and even the president had to step in but to no avail.
There was a time at the height of the takeover when the conflict could have been resolved after some negotiations, allegedly participated in by their children. However, that went down the drain and the fight took an ugly turn after cases were filed against each other.
With some public knowledge I have, including some insider stories, it would not have reached this point with a little swallowing of pride and respect for each other, particularly to their surviving parent, Olivia, who is now in her 80s.
We’ve been mesmerized by the equally ugly fighting among the Ilusorio family that dragged on for over a decade with over 300 court cases between the opposing camp. There was even a story about fighting for the ownership of the ashes of their late mom.
Never did I imagine that the same could happen involving a family here that grew up in my own community. We belong to the same parish and although the Yanson family were already very comfortable then, they were not as financially powerful as they are now.
More so with the Netflix showing of Crazy Rich Asians and the Bling Empire, it really sends a message that “the very rich are different from you and me,” as Scott Fitzgerald said.
In Psychology, we learned about the five hierarchy of needs starting from the basic psychological needs of having food, a roof, clothing etc. in order to survive.
Then we have the security needs which includes money, health and property, followed by love and belongingness which can be filled by family and friends and other connections.
Up in the scale are esteem and self-actualization, the latter being, fulfilling one’s desire to become the most of what he/she can be.
I am not a psychologist, nor will I attempt to explain which stage each Yanson siblings belong. But it’s easy to figure out that they have actualize almost everything, including love and belongingness when they were growing up, yet they have not attained one of the most important thing – peace within themselves and peace within their family.
It is sad. And I am sad for both sides because regardless of who has the biggest share or rule over that company, for what it is worth now, it will probably take five generations to gobble up all that billions in assets and incomes.
I will maintain and it is public knowledge that while the parents, the late Ricardo, Sr. and Olivia were responsible for making Ceres buses an icon in Philippine transport, it even grew bigger in the hands of Leo Rey.
My heart still goes out to their mom, Olivia, who in her twilight years continues to contend with the reality that she may never get to see her other children if these cases drag on for a decade or so.
But who knows. Prayers make a difference and might just be the bridging tool for this family. After all, while time may not heal all wounds, God can./PN
