Yanson family feud gets uglier as court brands 4 siblings ‘fugitives from justice’

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The seven-year-long feud among members of the Yanson family in Bacolod City is still far from over.

A local court in Bacolod on Tuesday, April 7, declared the four siblings, Roy, Ricardo Jr., Emily, and Ma. Lourdes Celina — known as the “Yanson 4” — as “fugitives from justice.”

This was the highlight of Bacolod Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 50 Judge Manuel Lopez’s March 17 resolution, which was made available to the public only on Tuesday.

Judge Lopez’s sala set a hearing for the siblings’ qualified theft case on May 6.

But members of the “Yanson 4” are reportedly still hiding abroad. Roy, Ricardo Jr., and Emily left the country on March 7, 2020, while Ma. Lourdes Celina has not returned to the country since 2005.

The “Yanson 4” are still at odds with the family’s matriarch, Olivia, and the two siblings, Ginette and Leo Rey.

The judge’s resolution also stripped the “Yanson 4” of their right to seek court relief and participate in any legal proceedings unless they surrender to the court or authorities. Hiding abroad despite having arrest warrants in Bacolod is a willful evasion of the law, Lopez noted.

The four siblings are also facing a carnapping case with the Bacolod RTC Branch 53, which issued arrest warrants against them in June 2020.

Under Republic Act No. 10883 or the New Anti-Carnapping Act of 2016, carnapping is a non-bailable offense when the evidence of guilt is strong.

Rappler reached out to both sides of the Yanson family on Wednesday, April 8, but has yet to get a response as of this posting. – Rappler.com