BY MATÉ ESPINA
MONEY really can’t buy happiness.
Over a year and a half of squabbling as to who should head the Vallacar Transit Inc., the biggest transport company in the country, nothing has been resolved and two presidents were again declared over the weekend.
Leo Rey, the youngest son, who has been presiding over the company for years and has been credited for its expansion, was hailed as the president and chairman of the board in the annual stockholders meeting at their headquarters in Bacolod City. He is backed by his mom, Olivia who was appointed as corporate secretary and treasurer and sister Ginette who is part of the board along with husband, Charles.
The other four siblings who are known as the Yanson four (Y4) – Roy, Emily, Ricky and Celina, were represented by their lawyer, Carlo Narvasa, who in a separate virtual meeting at SEDA Hotel in Bacolod, elected Celina Lopez as its president and chair while Roy was appointed vice president for operations, Emily as treasurer and chief financial officer and Ricky as the corporate secretary.
VTI owns the Ceres bus company that has over 4,800 units plying the entire country and said to serve 700,000 passengers and cargo on a daily basis. The company employs 18,000 people nationwide, and has expanded their operations to include manufacturing of buses.
But even the pandemic has not soften family members as court battles continue with each side represented by powerhouse law firms. Olivia even had a bout of COVID some months ago and had to be air-lifted to Manila. There are also rumors that two of the siblings have serious health ailments as well.
This saga has electrified Bacolod and even dragged the president to intervene in the family squabble to no avail. Emily, the eldest daughter, is also the girlfriend of Negros Occidental Gov. Bong Lacson.
The Y4 are believed to be abroad and have several warrants of arrest against them, according to a press statement from Leo Rey’s camp.
Some of the cases have been junked by the Department of Justice, but there are some cases that are still active in courts, particularly the case filed by the mom against her children for allegedly taking over her shares in the company through extrajudicial means.
Along with that case is the disinheritance case against the Yanson four following the failed takeover attempt of the company in July last year.
Since then, a slew of cases have been filed against each other. The recent dismissal of the DOJ last month was the qualified theft, perjury and falsification cases against the Y4 on grounds that it was premature because the Bacolod courts have yet to resolve the issue of the settlement on the estate of the late patriarch, Ricardo Sr., which includes the issue of ownership of the bus company.
Many personalities have also been dragged in the process including the police and the military during the tensed takeover and re-taking by the siblings and their mom.
The DOJ also dismissed carnapping charges against the Y4 earlier this year but a court in Bacolod also ordered the arrest of the Y4, over alleged grave coercion charges along with two nieces, a police general and a colonel.
National government agencies also had to come in the picture after the takeover resulted to the grounding of buses that affected transport by the general public for days.
With this latest development, the Yansons will not be celebrating the holidays together again and it is sad because their mom is already in her old age, at a time when she should be enjoying her children and grandchildren during these celebrations.
It is sad as well for some of the siblings who have been separated from their children since this mess erupted as some of the kids have remained here in Bacolod while others who have been dragged in the case are allegedly living abroad as well.
The pandemic has delayed some of the court hearings as well due to lockdowns and we might not see many of the issues resolved for months or maybe even years.
I am not sure there is a settlement and reconciliation in the offing. There were attempts in the past to reconcile with their mom but so much has since happened. Harsh words have been exchanged publicly and smear campaigns on both sides went on for months.
Even if the courts will decide either way, there will be no winners as all of them have lost parts of their family and the healing process may take years, if not for generations./PN
