‘Talisay cop chief should arrest Joavan or quit’

ARREST Joavan Fernandez or resign from your post.

This challenge was hurled at Supt. Eddie Recamera, Talisay City police chief, after the police were unable to locate, much less arrest, the Talisay mayor’s adopted son after he shot up a gasoline station last Sunday.

“It’s not good for the police chief to remain,” said Councilor Romeo Villarante if the mayor’s son enjoys favored treatment from him.

Villarante, who heads the opposition bloc in the council, said it was embarassing for the Talisay City police to be unable to arrest Joavan following Sunday dawn’s gasoline station shooting.

Recamara earlier said he would give his men one week to find Joavan, afterwhich they would file charges of malicious mischief and illegal discharge of firearm against him.

Joavan angrily fired bullets at a gasoline pump and the cashier’s booth in a Shell service station in barangay Bulacao, Talisay after employees ran away in fear upon recognizing him at the wheel of the Honda CRV shortly past midnight.

Joavan had wanted to gas up but knowing that his “credit limit” was used up and he wouldn’t pay for the gas, attendants scampered off to avoid a confrontation.

Recamara said if the pump boys won’t testify, responding policemen would be tapped as complainants.

PO3 Roelito Tano said a closed-circuit TV camera (CCTV) in the gas station would be used as evidence.

The mayor’s son admitted that he lost his temper after pump boys ran off.

It was the same gas station where Joavan blew his top in March 2011 and hit a gas attendant on the head.

No charges were filed by the Shell management and the pump attendant.

Mayor Fernandez declined to comment on the latest outburst of his son.Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus