• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
New arrest warrants have been issued against the four Yanson siblings — Emily, Ma. Lourdes Celina, Roy, and Ricardo Jr. — for alleged qualified theft involving more than P803.47 million in corporate funds, lawyer Norman Golez said during a press briefing on Thursday.
Golez, legal counsel for Mindanao Star Bus Transport Inc. (MSBTI) under the leadership of Leo Rey Yanson (LRY), said the criminal complaints stemmed from the alleged unauthorized withdrawal of P803.47 million from MSBTI corporate accounts with the Philippine National Bank (PNB) during the height of the Yanson family’s corporate dispute in 2019.
According to Golez, the withdrawn funds were allegedly deposited into the personal bank accounts of the four siblings.
He recalled that PNB froze MSBTI’s bank accounts in February 2020, prompting the filing of an interpleader case before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Bacolod City to determine the rightful parties entitled to the funds.
Following the court’s recognition of Leo Rey Yanson’s group as the lawful board of directors of MSBTI on July 14, 2025, Golez said PNB granted the group access to the company’s accounts. It was during this process, he said, that they discovered the alleged transfer of the P803.47 million from the corporation’s accounts to the personal accounts of the “Yanson 4” siblings.
In a prepared statement, Golez said the alleged withdrawals were made during the family’s corporate conflict in 2019 and, as claimed in the criminal complaints, enabled the four siblings to leave the country in 2020.
He added that nine information for qualified theft were filed before the Regional Trial Court in Bacolod City, while three additional information were filed before the Regional Trial Court in Pasig City.
According to Golez, both the Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office and the Department of Justice, which acted as prosecutor for the Bacolod cases, found prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction to indict the four siblings for qualified theft, a non-bailable offense.
On June 30, RTC Branch 54 Judge Enrico Voltaire Almeda issued arrest warrants against the four accused after finding probable cause and denied their applications for bail.
Golez said the four siblings remain at large and are now facing a total of 12 arrest warrants.
Meanwhile, Olivia Villarias Yanson (OVY), the matriarch of the Yanson family, said she would leave the matter to the courts.
“I will leave it to the court to decide on the matter,” OVY said during the press briefing in Talisay City.
Leo Rey and his sister, Ginnette, also said they will respect and abide by whatever decision their mother makes.
Despite the ongoing legal cases, Dumancas said their side remains open to a settlement.
She said that since the family conflict erupted, the group composed of their mother, Leo Rey, and herself, referred to as the “Y3”, had initiated settlement efforts on nine separate occasions, beginning as early as the first week after the dispute started.
“They disregarded it,” Dumancas said, referring to the four siblings.
She added that any future settlement proposal should come from the Yanson 4.
“It would be better if the settlement conditions come from them, not from us. Let them decide what conditions they want. Then we will study and review them with the help of our lawyers. From there, there will be a starting point,” she said.
On reports of a possible compromise agreement, Dumancas said any settlement would still require court approval.
“First and foremost, they have to ask forgiveness from our mother before anything else,” she added. | GPB
