Cebu mayor’s son tagged in shooting of car shop employee

CEBU CITY, Philippines–The police are looking for the adopted son of Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez tagged in the shooting of a car repair shop employee in Talisay, Cebu early Friday.

Joavan Fernandez allegedly shot and wounded Eduardo Basillote Largo Jr., 36, about 12:30 a.m. Friday after the latter refused to give the phone number of Jun Causon, owner of DanRyan Marketing Car Shop, in Barangay San Isidro.

Supt. Elmer Lim, chief of Talisay City Police, said he ordered his men to find Joavan to answer the allegation and urged Largo to file charges against the mayor’s son.

“Nobody is above the law,” Lim said.

Joavan has had several brushes with the law.

He had been accused of killing a jeepney driver, mauling vulcanizing shop workers, firing at gasoline station attendants, among others. But the cases were mostly dismissed after the witnesses and complainants withdrew from the cases, allegedly after the intervention of the mayor.

Recently, Joavan was accused of harassing a resident in Barangay Lagtang, Talisay when the latter was prevented from posting campaign materials in the area.

The elder Fernandez, who is on his third term as mayor and is running for councilor, said he was willing to surrender his son to explain his side.

But he said his son might not have shot Largo at 12:30 a.m. because Joavan was at a local eatery in Barangay Tabunok in Talisay and checked in at Queensland Hotel about 12:05 a.m.

His son checked out of the motel at 9 a.m., the mayor added.

Police said Largo saw Joavan and a companion onboard a motorcycle drive by the car shop at least three times at past midnight Thursday.

Joavan finally stopped in front of the car shop and asked Largo for the phone number of Causon. When Largo refused, Joavan pulled out his gun, repeatedly fired at the victim and then walked back to his motorcycle.

Largo suffered gunshot wounds in both arms and was brought to Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, a government-run facility in Cebu City.

SPO1 Edgar Causon, brother of the car shop owner, declined to comment, saying they have yet to determine why Joavan was looking for his brother.