Joavan hurt in hacking

The controversial son of Talisay City Mayor Joavan Fernandez was injured when he was attacked in sitio Magay, barangay Tangke late yesterday afternoon.

Joavan Fernandez claimed that a certain Randy Bazar approached him and, for unknown reason, immediately hacked him while he was in Magay to look for his cook, Maria Julia Macaraya.

Joavan, who sustained a minor wound to the side of his body, had the incident entered into the blotter at the Talisay City Police Station. Tangke barangay tanod Luciano Benitez also reported the incident to the police.

Talisay City police homicide investigator Harrison Quiñanola said they are now launching operation to arrest Bazar.

Prior to the incident, Joavan filed his counter-affidavit before the Talisay City Prosecutor’s Office denying accusations that he and his friends mauled two vulcanizing shop workers last month.

In his 11-page affidavit, Joavan Fernandez said he was only “so concerned” about his father’s missing tire, which prompted him to confront cousins Winston and Osbert Abellana last August 11. The Abellanas work for Bebot Vulcanizing in barangay Tabunok, Talisay where the mayor had brought a car tire for repair last August 5. The tire, however, went missing.

“Because if the same (the tire) would not be recovered or replaced or paid for, my father, Mayor Socrates Fernandez, might again be in deep trouble because his political detractors in Talisay City, would always find fault in him,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez also denied he was with five friends and that he was armed that night he went to the vulcanizing shop.

He said he only stayed at the vulcanizing shop “a little over 12 midnight” to meet the shop’s owners but because the owners were not around, he reportedly took Winston then Osbert with him for questioning. Contrary to allegations that he threatened to kill Winston and Osbert, the two reportedly went with him voluntarily.

“If he had been mauled by six men and whipped with a gun on his face, as he alleged, he would have become a bloody pulp and would not have survived the physical assault,” Fernandez said on Winston’s allegations.

He said it was reportedly his neighbors who mauled Winston after they heard him shouting, “Kawatan, kawatan.”

Fernandez also insisted he only brought Osbert with him “for the purpose of confrontation with Winston who had confessed to selling the spare tire with the participation of Osbert.”

Fernandez said there is no basis to charge him with serious illegal detention, as the police officers who responded to the supposed detention only recommended charges for slight illegal detention, grave threats and physical injuries in their joint affidavit.

To corroborate Joavan’s claims, his neighbors Maya Mabunay, Benedick Gabasa, Mark Froilan Perez and three other male minors, executed affidavits, saying they only came out of their houses to respond to the robbery alarm.

But Winston and Osbert earlier said they were actually with Fernandez in bringing them from the vulcanizing shop to Fernandez’ house and allegedly helped in mauling them.

Except for Mabunay, the rest are now facing charges for serious illegal detention before the Regional Trial Court.

Furthermore, Fernandez denied forcibly taking away the television and DVD player from the vulcanizing shop, saying Merceditha allegedly told him he could take the appliances as a form of guarantee that they would pay for the missing tire.

The prosecutor’s office is expected to release its findings on the complaint against Fernandez by the end of the month. –Liv G. Campo/JMO