P380M VTI MISSING FUNDS EXPOSED
Injunction hearing cancelled, LRY camp opposes petition for inhibition of judge
“For reconciliation to exist, there must be justice”
Celina Yanson-lopez (CYL), one of the Yanson Four and Chief Financial Officer of Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI) made this emphasis as she re-affirmed her commitment towards reconciliation and urges her mother, Olivia Yanson to tell the unvarnished truth behind the alleged P380 million missing funds.
In her first public appearance since this issue broke out publicly, CYL said she was deeply hurt by allegations made against her by her mother when everyone knows who was responsible for these alleged unliquidated funds which occurred during
her watch as CFO of VTI.
Without publicly mentioning the names of those involved, CYL revealed for the first time why her mother got angry last 2018 that precipitated the break between the Yanson majority and her mother taking the cudgels for Leo Rey and Ginnete.
“This thing broke out because of my mother’s kind heart, pakikisama and the tendency to play favorites. My mother got mad at me, together with the three of us, Ricky, Roy and Emily, because we wanted the guy responsible for these illicit withdrawals from the Manila Purchasing Office (MPO) to be criminally charged and be sent to jail.”
“We wanted justice. My mother preferred her own way—since she treated this guy as one of the family having served us for many years. When we discovered that this person was the one who orchestrated this big mess in cahoots with another, a lady cashier, the board wanted their heads. My mother intervened and out of pity, even wanted to pay for those funds which this guy allegedly took,” Celina says.
She added that Instead of castigating the man who reportedly served VTI for more than two decades, “Our mother covered for his misdeeds and instead blamed us, her four children, particularly me, for the mess,” she said.
A source within the family says that the guy is now enjoying his newlyfound wealth in a town in Negros island. He is reportedly fond of cockfighting, she further revealed.
She also revealed that a check with the auditing and accounting process within VTI revealed that the missing funds were reportedly withdrawn from the Manila Purchasing Office (MPO) checking account.
“The former official responsible for this and the only one authorized to sign checks, reportedly left signed blank checks with their Manila-based cashier, Rowena Sarona,” she added.
“Sarona is now facing a case before the courts in Quezon City after pieces of evidence show that she was the one who allegedly encashed those checks amounting to over 380 million pesos. It is unfair to blame me for the missing funds. I am not the signatory of the MPO account. And the man responsible for the missing funds is not even being questioned! He is being protected by my mother. He is a free man and is often seen in the company of my mother. The blame is being passed on to me and I am being tried by public opinion despite evidence that show otherwise,” Celina adds.
For true reconciliation to proceed, Celina advises, her mother and her siblings to tell the whole truth behind this funds scandal and “move forward.”
Meanwhile, The hearing on the Injunction before the sala of Judge Eduardo Sayson, Acting Presiding Judge of Branch 53 of the Regional Trial Court is cancelled today due to an event of the RTC.
The Injunction will determine whether the July 7, 2019 Special Board Meeting is legal or not. In that Special Board meeting, Leo Rey Yanson was replaced as President of the Yanson group of Bus Companies to Roy Yanson.
Atty. Norman Golez, legal counsel of Leo Rey revealed yesterday that they also oppose the petition for inhibition from hearing the case under Judge Sayson filed by the Yanson Four.
Golez said the other camp wanted Judge Sayson to inhibit from the case obviously because they failed to secure a favorable ruling from the court referring to the inhibition of Sayson on the Petition for the Issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order relative to the August 19 Special Stockholders Meeting conducted at the Vallacar Transit, Inc. main office in Barangay Mansilingan that re-elected Leo Rey as the company’s president. The Yanson four were not elected to the board anymore.
“We feel there’s no ground for inhibition of Judge Sayson and the filing is a way to shop a friendlier judge. They are trying to shop for a friendlier judge,” Golez said.
He said that with the cancellation of the hearing on the Injunction today, the hearing on September 6 will go on as scheduled.
Meanwhile Golez also revealed that the Employees Union has withdrawn all their demands to the management which they referred to the Department of Labor and Employment after LRY’S management agreed to grant their economic demands especially the Collective Bargaining Agreement guaranteed benefits.
“We told them we will pay them but they should give us time as the employees 201 files have been missing after LRY has fully recovered the main office and the 15 branches,” Golez said.
The employees who were affected brought their cases to DOLE. “We will respect the employees’ rights including their rights of security of tenure. But those who are found culpable for the things missing inside we will issue notice to explain and we will hold them administratively liable,” Golez added.*