A regional trial court in Bacolod City has declared four Yanson siblings “fugitives from justice” and stripped them of their right to seek court relief and participate in legal proceedings until they surrender to face qualified theft charges.
In a resolution dated March 17, 2026, Judge Jose Manuel Lopez of the Regional Trial Court Branch 50 ruled that siblings Roy, Ricardo Jr., Ma. Lourdes Celina and Emily Yanson had willfully evaded the law by staying abroad despite outstanding warrants for their arrest.
“For the willful evasion by the accused of the Court’s jurisdiction, the accused should be sanctioned rather than rewarded. Their intent to evade prosecution is considered as a waiver of their right to adduce evidence and participate in the criminal case against them, they shall lose their standing in court and shall not be entitled to seek relief, until and unless they submit and commit to the jurisdiction of this Court,” Lopez said.
Lopez set the hearing on May 6, following the issuance of arrest warrant for the accused persons.
The court decision is the latest in a long-running management dispute within the Yanson Group of Bus Companies (YGBC), which owns Vallacar Transit Inc., the operator of Ceres Liner, and the largest bus transport network in the Philippines.
YGBC operates thousands of buses across the country, employing tens of thousands of workers.
Despite the legal turmoil, the company’s daily operations have continued under the management of younger sibling Leo Rey Yanson and their mother Olivia Yanson. ||
