Arrest warrant out for mayor’s son after Talisay shooting
By Gabriel C. Bonjoc
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 10:55:00 12/17/2010
Police moved quickly to arrest the son of Talisay Mayor Socrates Fernandez, Joavan, who allegedly fired a gun at a store clerk after driving off without paying for two bottles of Coke.
But they weren’t quick enough.
Joavan Fernandez slipped away as policemen searched a hilltop “prayer house” house in Talisay owned by the mayor.
Joavan, whose brushes with the law and ability to get out of trouble have earned him notoriety in Talisay and the Cebu media, was again linked to a shooting incident.
A store clerk accused Joavan of firing a gun at him after refusing to pay for his purchase of two Coke Litro bottles in a cooperative store in Vista Grande Subdivision.
Policemen went to the concrete two-level house called “Balay sa Pag-ampo (House of Prayer)” on Wednesday, looking for Joavan.
Four persons didn’t allow the police to enter. This gave Joavan time to flee on a habal-habal (motorcycle taxi).
Yesterday, policemen returned to the house with a search warrant. They found some drug paraphernalia but no Joavan.
The house was built in 2002 by Mayor Fernandez, a Catholic evangelist, at Pacific Heights Subdivision, for mediation and religious retreats.
The prayer house, located near a cliff, has a signboard “Balay sa Pag-ampo” in the front and religious posters on the walls. A large statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus stands outside.
The house has two rooms on the ground floor and an altar on the second floor.
According to neighbors, the house has recently become a sanctuary of Joavan, sometimes disturbing neighbors with loud music and barakada gatherings at night.
The latest in a string of complaints about Joavan’s behavior came from 19-year-old Raymund Paran.
The sales attendant told police Joavan fired a gun at him after not paying for his purchases of two bottles of Coke Litro in the cooperative store in Vista Grande Subdivision.
Paran said Joavan dropped by about 1:50 p.m. on Wednesday on board a red Kia Sportage with plate number JCV-768.
Joavan, who was in the driver's seat, waved his hand to signal that he wanted to buy Coke. After receiving two Coke Litro bottles, the mayor's son didn't pay.
Instead, he pointed a gun at the attendant saying: “Unsa man ka, pamasaker ka (What, do you want to be massacred)?”
Paran said a shot was fired near him and that he was so scared that he allowed Joavan to leave without paying.
Although shaken, Paran went to the police to complain.
The store clerk, accompanied by the police, went to the mayor’s House of Prayer and found the red Kia Sportage parked outside and four persons.
When the police asked about Joavan, the persons didn’t respond. They also refused to let the law enforcers into the house in the absence of a warrant.
One of them was Benedict Gabasa, Joavan's driver who was arrested earlier by the police in barangay Pardo for driving without a license.
Another was a young woman, often seen in Joavan’s company, described as his girlfriend. She was the one who waited for him at the Talisay City detention cell when Joavan was arrested for pointing gun to Vincent Castrodes a few months ago.
Talisay police cordoned off the area. A team from the Special Reaction Unit (SRU) of Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) later arrived to reinforce them.
Habal habal driver Fernando de Guzman said he was flagged down about 3 p.m. in barangay Bulacao Pardo, in Cebu City, by a shirtless Joavan who had cuts and bruises on his back.
Joavan first asked him to look for a taxi. When the taxi driver refused the trip, the habal-habal driver ended up bringing Joavan home to Mansueto Village, in barangay Bulacao, Talisay City, for P120.
Curious about the cuts on his back, the habal-habal driver asked Joavan. The mayor’s son said he got the wounds jumping off the second floor of the Balay sa Pag-ampo to evade policemen. He landed on his back.
“Ako siyag gi-ingnan nga kataas ato, boss, imung nalayat (I asked him that it was so high, you had to jump)?” Joavan answered, "Ako naman nang gipraktisan (I practiced it).”
Talisay police secured a search warrant yesterday noon from Judge Soliver Peras of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 10.
Police said they found drug paraphernalia including lighters, tinfoil sheets and two plastic sachets. The Kia Sportage and two other vehicles were also searched.
Supt. Henry Biñas, Talisay City police chief, said authorities may file a robbery complaint against Joavan for refusing to pay for his purchases.
Neighbors in adjacent Visata Grande Subdivision are reportedly upset by Joavan’s activities.
Derlie Anderson, president of Vista Grande Association, said homeowners would support the sales clerk’s complaint against Joavan in order to discipline the mayor's son.
She said she would also discuss with the Pacific Heights Homeowners Association about the possibility of banning Joavan from the two subdivisions.
She told reporters they tolerated Joavan’s habit of buying items from the cooperative store since Mayor Fernandez would pay for his orders.
But Joavan has become more than a nuisance, she said. She said Joavan had promised not to violate any law inside the subdivision when they had a dialogue in the presence of Mayor Fernandez early this year.
But Anderson said Joavan broke his word and continues to violate subdivision rules such as traffic regulations for overspeeding, driving in the opposite lane, and ignoring no-left-turn signs.
Two residents of Pacific Heights had their own complaints. Christopher and Priscila Capul, who live 15 meters from the House of Prayer, recalled two encounters with Joavan.
In September, Joavan got irked when her driver blew their car horn to warn Joavan that their vehicle was approaching. She said Joavan chased them with a siren blaring. Priscila said she was frightened about what Joavan would do to them.
Last October, late in the evening, Priscila said she went outside, bothered by loud noise was coming from the Balay sa Pag-ampo. She said, “Kinsa may nagsige ug saba-saba diha (Who is making that noise)?" And she went back inside their house.
A few minutes later, Joavan emerged and asked who shouted outside his house and then fired his gun.
Priscila said she was so scared that she was brought to the hospital. She reported the incident to barangay Candulawan. The mayor's son didn't show up during the scheduled hearing.
Christopher said their association wrote to the mayor asking him to discipline his son. The mayor's reply was, “Ato lang nang i-investigate ug ako lang sab ning yamyaman akong anak (We will investigate and I will continue to advise my son).”
“We are thinking of movng out for security reasons. Some people want to build a house here but backed off because they are afraid of Joavan,” Priscila said.
Christopher said Joavan seemed to have phobia on the new faces in the area. He even frisked the residents of sitio Iba, barangay Lagtang, who passed by to make sure that they do not have any firearms.
Vidal to Soc: Discipline your son DISCIPLINE your son.
This was the advice of Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal to Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez in the latest episode of misconduct involving the mayor’s son, Joavan.
“I am wondering why he can't control him,” the prelate said.
Vidal said the mayor should show a good example to his constituents in Talisay and let residents have peace of mind.
“He has to find ways and means to discipline his son,” Vidal said.
In a previous interview, Vidal also advised the flock to pray for Joavan so he would be led back to the right values and teaching of the church.
Arrest warrant for Joavan
Originally Posted by disenchanted
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