Bacolod judge orders arrest of 4 Yanson family members, 5 others

BACOLOD CITY –– A trial judge has ordered the arrest of four feuding members of the Yanson family and five others in connection with the grave coercion charges filed against them.

Judge Abraham Bayona of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 7 in Bacolod City issued the arrest warrant against siblings Roy, Ricardo, Emily, and Ma. Lourdes Celina Yanson Lopez, lawyer Jerry Llena said.

Also included in the warrant of arrest were Jerica Ramos, Jerina Ramos, Judy Alcala, Police Brigadier General Noli Romana, and Police Colonel Jomil John Trio.

Bail was set at P36,000 each, a document dated March 10 signed by Bayona showed.

Lawyer Sheila Sison, counsel of the four Yanson siblings, said there was a hearing on Friday morning on their motion to suspend proceedings and to hold in abeyance the issuance of the warrant of arrest.

“There was no warrant of arrest issued yesterday morning. The case was set for arraignment,” Sison said.

The case stemmed from the ongoing family dispute of the Yanson siblings over control of the Vallacar Transit.

Llena said the motion of the four Yanson siblings to suspend the proceedings and to defer the issuance of the warrant of arrest was not considered by the judge.

“The warrant is already issued. It is already out in the open. Any time soon, it will be served to the accused,” he said.

Judge Bayona ordered the arrest of four Yanson siblings and their “accomplices” after they allegedly tried to take over the management of Vallacar Transit Inc. from its incumbent president Leo Rey Yanson in July 2019.

In an order dated March 10, 2020, Bayona found probable cause against the Yanson siblings and their accomplices for the crime of grave coercion.

“After careful evaluation of the resolution of the investigating prosecutor and the supporting documents under Section 6(b) concerning Section 6(a) of Rule 112 of the Revised Rule on Criminal Procedure, the court finds probable cause exists and that there is a necessity of placing the accused under the immediate custody so as not to frustrate the ends of justice,” he said in his order.

The court set the arraignment of the accused on July 10, 2020, at 8:30 a.m.

LZB