Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez promised to turn over his adopted son Joavan to the police on Monday or three days after the suspect shot and wounded a watchman in barangay San Isidro, Talisay City.
Supt. Elmer Lim, Talisay City police chief, said the mayor assured him he would surface his son even as police continue a manhunt for the Joavan.
“I don’t doubt that the mayor will do it, but if we spot Joavan then we arrest him,” said the police chief.
He said Mayor Fernandez was worried about what may happen to Joavan after top police officials ordered a manhunt for Joavan, who was described by Provincial Director Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador Jr. as “armed and dangerous.”
“I told the mayor that we would have a man-to-man talk with Joavan, ” Lim said.
But he said police are preparing the filing of charges of frustrated murder after the shooting victim executed an affidavit identifying Joavan as the assailant.
In a dyAB interview on Friday, Joavan, who’s been the subject of several complaints of harassment by various Talisay residents, said he believed he was being framed by his father’s ally Rep. Eduardo Gullas. He said he would not surrender.
But Lim said the latest shooting victim Eduardo Largo, the brother of a Talisay policeman, wouldn’ t make up a story because he was almost killed in his random encounter with Joavan.
No apparent motive was established yet for the attack, which took place about 12:30 a.m. after Joavan was seen passing by the car shop thee times on a motorbike driven by a companion.
According to the victim, Joavan stop by and asked him for the phone number of the shop owner then shot him when he said he was new and didn’t have the information.
Joavan, in a radio interview, denied he committed the crime, saying he was in Queensland motel in Talisay from 12:05 am to 9 a.m.
Mayor Fernandez supported his alibi. Lim said Talisay police checked the report and confirmed that Joavan and his friends checked in the motel with his red vehicle and motorcycle.
But Lim noted that the motel is less than a kilometer from the crime scene and could be reached in 2 to 3 minutes.
Lim said Joavan and friends checked in at 12:05 a.m. but periodically left the hotel.
If police can identify the man who drove the motorcycle when the shooting happened, he can also be charged as accessory, said Lim.
Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo, Police Regional Office (PRO-7) chief, ordered his men to look for Joavan and arrest him.
Garbo said he wanted Joavan to be arrested as soon as possible.
Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador Jr., Cebu provincial police chief, said he ordered personnel of the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) to help Talisay police arrest Joavan. He said he gave his men two weeks to arrest Joavan. With Correspondents Chito Aragon and Gabriel Bonjoc