By Adrian Stewart Co

Ceres-Negros FC dedicated their recent 2-1 win over Kaya FC-Iloilo in the first “Visayas Clásico” of the 2019 Philippines Football League to Leo Rey Yanson, who was recently ousted as president of Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI), the football club’s parent company, by his older brother, Roy Yanson.
The club’s twitter account used the hashtag “#forLRY” with all of their tweets during the match.
“To our owner, who is more like a friend or like a father to us all, we dedicated the win to him,” said Ceres midfielder Stephan Schröck. “He’s having a difficult time and I hope we can make him smile for – even just fifteen seconds.”
He called the company president’s ouster a “huge blow for the team.”
“We had to win this game to give our owner a little smile and a little happiness back,” the midfielder added.
The power struggle arose after Atty. Sheila Sison sent a press statement to members of the media last Sunday indicating Roy Yanson was appointed company president, replacing Leo Rey Yanson, who will continue to serve as a director and member of the Board of Directors.
A subsequent response to the statement, signed by the younger Yanson, was later submitted.
The release called the meeting an “illegal action” and named Roy Yanson, Emily Yanson, Ma. Lourdes Celina Lopez, and Ricardo Yanson, Jr. among the parties associated with the special board meeting.
He claimed the meeting was held without proper notice.
VTI is parent company of the Ceres Bus Liner./ASC, WDJ