THE legal counsel of the board of directors of Bacolod-based Vallacar Transit Incorporated (VTI) filed on Wednesday, August 7, a case for injunction against several police officials to stop them from meddling in the company's internal conflict.
Lawyer Sigfrid Fortun, lead counsel of the VTI board, cited the unreasonable use of force by the Philippine National Police (PNP) without a legal order.
Named as respondents are PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Amador Corpus, PNP Civil Security Group Chief Reynaldo Biay, Western Visayas Police Regional Office Director Rene Pamuspusan, and Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (Sosia) acting chief Michael John Dubria.
Meanwhile, PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac said the respondents will answer the case in the proper time and forum.
“The PNP which has regularity functions exercised by the SOSIA-CSG will continue to perform its mandate to maintain peace and order and will neither take over a private bus terminal facility without proper court order nor hold management and employees against their will,” he said.
“The PNP will never do such things. The dispute on company ownership is best resolved by courts,” he added.
Fortun filed the case a day after the Bacolod police allegedly "took over" a VTI bus terminal in Bacolod City based on a memorandum order from the Sosia head office in Camp Crame which ordered the reinstatement of the Armored Guards Negros Security Agency (AGNSA) as the company's security force.
The alleged takeover was the latest development in the worsening conflict among the Yanson siblings, who own and manage VTI. Vallacar, one of the companies under the Yanson Group of Bus Companies, is the operator of the Ceres Liner, the biggest bus line in the Visayas.
Fortun on Wednesday asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the PNP from meddling while members of the board attempt to resolve the conflict.
The feud erupted when siblings Roy, Ricardo Jr., Celina and Emily ousted their younger brother Leo Rey as the company president and installed Roy as the new company president.
Leo Rey, who has the support of sister Ginnette Yanson-Dumancas and their mother Olivia Yanson, is contesting his ouster.
Both camps have filed cases of injunction against each other. The cases, which have been consolidated, is pending before a Bacolod court.
As the new president, Roy contracted a new security agency, AY-76 Security Agency, and terminated the services of AGNSA, which was contracted by Leo Rey.
The Bacolod police reportedly took over the security of the Ceres terminal in Samboc, Lopez Jaena in Bacolod City based on an order from Sosia.
Dubria has yet to comment on the matter. (SunStar Philippines)