New lawyer hired to defend Joavan

With new charges filed against him, Joavan Fernandez said he chose to get another lawyer to represent him in court.

The adopted son of Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez said long-time defense counsel George Bragat, the mayor’s close friend, would no longer represent him before the Regional Trial Court in Barili Town.

Paulino Labrado was reatined as as his new counsel but Labrado told Cebu Daily News he has has yet to confer with Joavan.

“We haven’t talked yet,” said Labrado.

This came as Moalboal police said they have yet to verify reports that a woman had booked reservations for Joavan at a beach resort in Moalboal town.

Joavan and two fishermen were arrested there last Monday.

Bragat said he remains the “counsel of record” in various cases earlier filed against Joavan before different courts in the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay.

“They can dismiss me as their lawyer. But so far, they have not communicated with me about it,” Bragat told Cebu Daily News.

Bragat was earlier able to convince Cebu City RTC Judge Manuel Patalinghug to release Joavan on bail for an illegal detention case in 2008.

Joavan was then charged with allegedly abducting and mauling two vulcanizing shop workers he accused of stealing his father’s spare tire.

The judge approved bail citing weak evidence of the prosecution.

Several other criminal cases were filed against Joavan, including a charge for the shooting last month of a car store watchman in Talisay City.

Joavan was arrested on May 6 outside his father’s house in Talisay then slipped out of the stockade in City Hall on May 8.

Police recaptured Joavan in Club Serena a beach resort in Moalboal town, south Cebu last Monday, 12 days after he bolted out jail.

Confiscated from his possession were a .45 pistol and ammunition.

Escorted by members of the Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT), Joavan along with two fishermen believed to be his cohorts, was brought to the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors’ Office for inquest proceedings yesterday morning.

They chose to waive a preliminary investigation.

Asst. Provincial Prosecutor Jerome Abarca directly filed the case in court against Joavan, Beneto Sellon, and Carlito Canada.

Joavan is facing earlier charges for violating the election gun ban and illegal possession of firearms before RTC Judge Leopoldo Canete of Branch 60 in Barili town.

A commitment order to transfer Joavan to the Cebu provincial jail in Cebu City is expected to be issued by Judge Canete.

Sellon and Canada were charged with obstruction of justice before the Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Moalboal-Badian-Alcantara-Alegria.

Bail was recommended at P12,000 each fisherman..

Joavan will remain in jail since one of the cases earlier lodged against him in Cebu City for illegal possession of explosives is a non-bailable offense.

With Joavan’s May 8 jail escape, Cebu City RTC Judge Soliver Peras increased the amount of bail in the two cases against him.

Insp. Henry Orbiso, chief of the Moalboal police, said charges of obstruction of justice will be filed against a woman who booked resort reservations for Joavan.

Joavan and the fishermen were held at the Moalboal police precinct after police were unable to get a commitment order from RTC Barili to remand Joavan to the Cebu provincial jail.

Orbiso said they are hopeful that the commitment order will be signed today by the judge.

Police said Joavan will be detained at CPDRC where he has less influence and not the Talisay stockade. With Correspondent Joy Cherry Quito