A total of 42 former employees of Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI) filed criminal complaints against company officials on April 30, 2026, for allegedly forcing them out of their jobs during an internal family dispute over ownership.
Complaints Filed in Bacolod
The complaints, three separate counts of grave coercion, were filed before the Bacolod City Prosecutor's Office against Olivia Yanson, Leo Rey Yanson, Ginnette Dumancas, and other responsible officers of the company.
Lawyer Dino De Leon, counsel for the complainants, said they will defend the 42 workers in relation to the violations committed against them in one of the largest bus fleets in Asia and seek justice for them.
He said the respondents prevented them from doing something lawful and compelled them into choices against their will.
“They were placed in a position where they had to choose between their dignity and their livelihood,” he said.
Legal Basis for Grave Coercion
De Leon, also a human rights lawyer, stated that the totality of circumstances show that the elements of grave coercion under Article 286 of the Revised Penal Code.
Citing People v. Arnado, later recognized in Vallacar Transit Inc. v. Yanson Jr., De Leon said grave coercion exists when a person is prevented from doing something not prohibited by law, or compelled to do something against his will, through violence, threats or intimidation, without lawful authority.
He said the alleged coercion occurred during a leadership battle inside the company, particularly between rival groups within the Yanson family.
Under those circumstances, he added the stoppage of dispatch operations, the prohibition against reporting for work, and the control of terminal access were not ordinary management decisions.
De Leon noted that the complainants never voluntarily stopped working and never chose to take sides in the family dispute.
Case of a Long-Time Employee
Among the complainants was Alberto Cabalida Jr., resident of Cauayan, Negros Occidental, who had worked for Vallacar Transit Inc. for about 10 years before being removed from his job in 2019.
Cabalida said that on or about October 19, 2019, with an effectivity date of September 24, 2019, he received a notice regarding his termination.
He said the notice did not clearly state the reason for his dismissal.
The respondents could also not be reached for a comment as of Friday, May 1, 2026. (MAP)
