PASSENGERS board a Ceres bus in Iloilo City. (Tara Yap)
ILOILO CITY — The operator of Visayas-based Ceres buses welcomed the recent Supreme Court (SC) decision against a former board of director, who has fled the country and is a fugitive from justice.
Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI), the country’s biggest bus company, said the Nov. 25, 2025 decision of the SC en banc against Ricardo Yanson Jr. is a timely development for its Dec. 6 annual stockholders meeting.
“We welcome the clarity provided by the Supreme Court,” said Leo Rey Yanson, chairman of the board and CEO of VTI.
The SC granted VTI’s petition against Ricardo Jr. over a grave coercion case and ruled that he cannot seek judicial relief as a fugitive who left the country.
“The ruling reinforces a simple truth: No one is above the law. Courts cannot be used as shields by those who refuse to face legitimate legal processes,” emphasized Leo Rey in a statement.
The SC ruling against Ricardo Jr. is the latest in the ongoing family feud over the estate of patriarch Ricardo B. Yanson Sr., a co-founder of the Yanson Group of Bus Companies (YGBC).
The patriarch’s death in October 2015 divided the family into two factions.
The first faction is with matriarch and YGBC co-founder Olivia as well as son Leo Rey and daughter Ginnette Yanson-Dumancas.
The other faction is siblings Ricardo Jr., Roy, Emily, and Celina.
As a YGBC company, VTI has elected the board of directors for 2026. It includes Olivia, Leo Rey, Ginette, Charles Dumancas, Anita Chua, Arvin John Villarue, and Daniel Nicolas Golez.
VTI assured it will boost its modernization program to improve public transportation next year.
“As we move into 2026, we are accelerating modernization across our entire network,” said Leo Rey .
“We are building a future-ready transport system that represents the best of Filipino service,” added Leo Rey.
The program will include fleet renewals, customer experience improvements, digital integration, and broader nationwide connectivity.