Opinion: Some Ceres Drivers are Reckless
We were in Bacolod on April 18. We were in Silay City at around 7:48 a.m.
when Ceres Liner with body number 5279 and plate number FWW 806 cut us and other
At noon time while traversing at Shopping going to Doctor’s Hospital another Ceres jeep with a name Pasalubong Special cut us again and despite the heavy traffic, such jeep crisscrossed the road as if there is no tomorrow. I failed to get its plate number as it was running too fast as if there are no other vehicles on the road.
There are many news about Ceres killing people. No reasons were given why Ceres Liner used to bump other vehicles. All I observe is that some Ceres bus run too fast and cut roads even on hazardous situations. That’s some reasons why some end up in canal or bump a tree. At a road in Cedar College, they run too fast oblivious of students and people doing business with the college. That is, despite that a Cadiz police station and LTO office are also situated there. I wonder why LTO nor police hasn’t done anything to cut Ceres’ speed. Nor Mayor Patrick Escalante who also live nearby Cedar College.
Last time the employee of Jerry Prado in Cadiz City from San Carlos failed to report. Later on, the staffs of Jerry said that the employee was in the hospital as the habal-habal she was riding was bumped by a fast Ceres Liner traversing the road near San Carlos City.
It also happened for sometime a year ago that a person at Barangay Tinampaan, Cadiz City, died as he was bumped by Ceres Liner. According to Prosecutor Marcelo del Pilar, it was the fault of Ceres Liner. Since Fiscal Del Pilar retired, I have no idea if what happened to the case.
Only the other week Roger Guteb made a report at DYEZ of an octogenarian who was hospitalized as while she was on the act to mount the bus, the bus moved. I have no idea what happened to the victim.
I also heard over the radio a true drama of a small child who was run over by Ceres somewhere in Sagay.
No one made a study in Negros of the atrocities and the death caused by reckless driving of some Ceres drivers. Nor was there a report of a test if some Ceres Liner drivers are drug addicts.
The bad image of Ceres Liner hurt the good image of Ric Yanson. I know Ric and his wife Olivia are good persons. So as with the many Ceres employees for when I was still in battery business, almost all battery of Ceres were taken from my store. Manny Magadia who is the husband of Ceres is my good friend being the former manager of Ramcar. I have personal exposure to the way how Ceres operates and had known some of the employees who were incorruptible. Aside from that, their lawyer Roming Geocadin is my close friend. The secret of the success of the business of Ric Yanson is that almost all of his employees during the time I was doing business with them cannot be corrupted. That I know when many of my competitors attempted to corrupt them but was not successful.
In fact, basing from my experience, Ric Yanson does his business the most honest way. But due to huge business build up, there are some staffs who are irresponsible. So it became known by private talks that to save from expenses, it is rather good to kill a person once there is an accident rather than bring him to hospitals. It is also said that no one can beat the Ceres management in court as some or as alleged on private talks that fiscals and judges are enjoying free of passage.
Of course, I cannot personally believe on this, but everytime a Ceres bus is burned by the rebels, many people I hear, are thankful instead of condemning the heinous acts. The riding public seems not bothered at all that a transportation company is sabotaged, which ought not to be the case.
This is how isolated Ceres’ business from the public. It is even said that in Cadiz many tricycles crowd the Ceres terminal that makes it dangerous for a riding public. I am informed that these tricycle drivers are giving some money perhaps to the Ceres security guards or Ceres employees as protection money and perhaps, it is halves by some corrupt members of the police. It is not my duty to find it out, but if corruption is not dominant there, why is the terminal crowded always with tricycles and as radioman Ricky Desuyo said; it blocks the immediate movement of Ceres Liner and the riding public? And why the Security guards and the police not doing anything about it?
Perhaps, the management of Ric Yanson should find it out. I haven’t met Ric Yanson nor Manny Magadia for a long time now. And Manny Magadia even if we are close friends doesn’t meddle on anything about the business of his Manong Cardo despite that the name Ceres is based from the name of his wife, the sister of Ric Yanson.
The last time I saw Ric Yanson was at the golden anniversary of Negros Daily Bulletin. Perhaps, Ric is one of those who support Negros Daily Bulletin. That I do not know.
When Arman Toga asked me if I wanted to be seated with the Sunshine Boys of which Ric is also a member, I told Arman I can sit with the public where Arman is also sitting. Soon I was busy exchanging ideas with Winnie Sancho and some other guests.
From a distance, I saw Ric and Primo Esleyer having a hearty discussion. It was columnist Primo Esleyer who coined the word for Ric Yanson as the bus czar of Asia.*
