Co-suspect: Joavan still there when cops arrived
One of the five suspects in the reported manhandling and illegal detention of two vulcanizing shop workers the other day in
The statement of the 17-year-old suspect during yesterday’s inquest proceedings was contrary to the earlier statement of the police that Joavan was not in the crime scene when they arrived at Joavan’s house in sitio Mansueto, barangay Tabunok in Talisay dawn last Monday.
Only Joavan remained at large as of yesterday afternoon.
The suspect who claimed he is a friend of Joavan told Talisay City Prosecutor Marshall Rubia it was in the house in sitio Mansueto where Joavan allegedly brought and physically abused Winston Abellana and his cousin Osbert whom Joavan accused of stealing his father’s car tire.
But PO3 Arnold Damasco, one of the arresting officers, denied having seen Joavan at the crime scene, saying they could have already arrested him if he was really there when they arrived.
Another arresting officer, PO3 Edwin Alvarado, echoed Damasco’s claim, saying the door of Joavan’s house was already locked when they came, and it was their belief that he used the back door to escape.
In last Monday’s interview, however, Alvarado said Joavan was still there when they responded to the alarm but they reportedly did not bother to follow him inside the house, fearing that to do so would only “impinge on the case.”
Based on police records, Joavan was reportedly armed during the incident, as also reported by Oscar Abellana, Osbert’s father.
The 17-year-old suspect also said Joavan visited him and the other suspects twice yesterday at the substation located at the ground floor of the
The six suspects have been charged with two counts of illegal detention, two counts of physical injuries, and two counts of grave threats.
Suspects Benedict Gabasa, Teodoro Ligaray, and Mark Perez had asked seven days for them to file their counter-affidavits to the charge. Apart from the two minors, they are now detained at the substation.
Rubia recommended that the owner of Bebot Vulcanizing from where the two victims were allegedly abducted to also file a robbery complaint against Joavan after he allegedly took the owner’s TV set and DVD player when the owner failed to pay him the promised P5,000 in exchange of the missing tire.
Rubia said Joavan should also undergo a preliminary investigation but documents, as far as the complaint against him is concerned, were not yet ready yesterday.
Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Lani Abarquez said the mayor said in an executive meeting with city councilors that he would take a two-week leave to attend to his son.
“We felt for him,” Abarquez said, promising further investigation into the incident.
Fernandez refused to issue comment, saying he was experiencing a “passion of agony.” – Liv G. Campo/JMO
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