JOAVAN ‘SHOOTS’ AGAIN

Joavan Fernandez, Talisay City’s “bad boy”, has the police on his trail again, this time for allegedly shooting a car shop watchman past midnight on Friday in SRP road, San Isidro, Talisay City.

The adopted son of Talisay Mayor Socrates Fernandez was identified by the victim, Eduardo Largo Jr., 36, who suffered two gunshot wounds in both arms.

Like past complaints about Joavan’s outbursts, the victim was unarmed and drew the ire of the mayor’s son in a chance encounter at the shop.

Jovan called radio dyAB later to deny he was the shooter.

He blamed Rep. Eduardo Gullas, his father’s ally, for making up what he said was a false charge to tarnish the reputation of Mayor Fernandez, who is running for a seat in the Talisay city council.

According to the wounded shop watchman, Joavan arrived at the Danryan shop about 12:30 a.m. on a motorbike driven by a companion.

After passing by the marketing display center three times, Joavan got off and asked Largo for the phone number of the owner. When the watchman said he was new and didn’t have the information, the mayor’s son got out a hand gun and opened fire.

Supt. Elmer Lim, Talisay City police chief, said a manhunt is in progress for Joavan, who will be charged with frustrated murder.

The victim is the brother of a Talisay policeman.

INSIDE MOTEL

Joavan, who is lying low, called radio dyAB to say he couldn’t have committed the crime because he was in the Queensland Talisay motel from 12:05 a.m. to 9 a.m. the next morning. He said the logbook there shows his presence.

Joavan said the allegation against him was a political ploy to tarnish his father’s reputation.

He blamed Congressman Gullas.

“Kahibaw ko kinsay utok ani. Nganung wala man niya padagana ug vice mayor iyang apo kung naproblema siya nga dili ma-number one iyang apo, unya damayun ko niya,” said Joavan.

(I know who’s the brains behind this. Why didn’t he just field his grandson as vice mayor if he has problem ensuring he’s no. 1 in the election.)

Gullas’ grandson, Eduardo “Digul” Gullas III, is seeking reelection as city councilor. So is Mayor Fernandez.

Joavan said he believes the congressman can’t say anything bad about the mayor so “he ‘s picking on me.”

“He calls me a drug addict. Why doesn’t he have his grandson take a drug test?” said Joavan, in Cebuano.

Joavan, a past patient of a drug rehabilitation center, insisted that he no longer uses narcotics and even passed a drug test when he renewed his driver’s license recently.

Last Wednesday, Congressman Gullas, a candidate for Talisay city mayor, was asked in the Mega Cebu Candidates’ Forum how he would deal with Joavan, whose frequent brushes with the law have led to a familiar cycle of Joavan’s arrest, detention, and bail out.

Gullas said “nobody was above the law” and that he would order the Talisay police to arrest him if Joavan was indeed involved in wrongdoing.

The shop worker was discharged Friday noon from the Vicente Sotto Medical Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.

“Gi-trippan ra gyud kono siya. Pero dihang pusilon na siya, mi-action siyag hapa kay nakabantay man siya”, said hospital spokesman Nonoy Mongaya who spoke with the patient.

Mongaya said the worker was a random target of violence.

(Joavan was just tripping on him. Just before Joavan shot him, he sensed the danger and fell flat on the ground.)

The watchman took cover behind parked cars. A bullet hit the gate of the shop.

The police spot report said Largo was hit in right upper arm, leg and back portion of the body, bu the hospital spokesman said Largo just sustained two gunshot wounds in both arms.

The owner of the shop is the brother of a Talisay policeman, SPO1 Edgar Causon.

Causon said his brother and Joavan didn’t know each other. However, the policeman said that he knew Joavan and was surprised at the violence because “Joavan knows how many times I’ve helped him before.”With a report from Gabriel Bonjoc