One more case filed vs. Joavan

CEBU, Philippines – Another criminal case was filed yesterday in the Talisay City Prosecutor's Office against Joavan, the controversial son of Mayor Socrates Fernandez.

Guillermina Barrido accused her purported former boss Joavan Fernandez for alleged grave threat.

The case is the second one filed against Joavan. The first was filed by Vincent Castrodes who accused him of pointing a gun at him during a traffic altercation last June 24.

The case is now pending at the Municipal Trial Court in Cities-Talisay City.

Barrido, who has been under the custody of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) together with four policemen from the CPPO's Investigation and Detective Management Branch (IDMB) went to the office of city prosecutor Marshal Rubia to officially charge Joavan, 27.

Rubia said the complaint is under preliminary investigation, and by Monday, the case will be raffled to determine who will handle it.

The city has three investigating prosecutors.

Rubia said Barrido accuses the mayor's son of threatening to kill her after she quit her job as his bodyguard.

Last month Barrido first went to the Pardo Police to report the alleged threat.

She then went to the Talisay City Police Station for security, where she stayed the whole weekend. She was later transferred to the CPPO where her husband and her two children-a 12-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy-moved with her from their house in barangay Bulacao, Talisay City to a CPPO safe house as ordered by Senior Supt. Erson Digal, CPPO chief.

Aside from that grave threat allegation, Barrido also claimed that Joavan was engaged in illegal drugs and has implicated some Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency agents as alleged suppliers of illegal drugs to the mayor's son.

And because of the seriousness of her allegations, Barrido has undergone a psychiatric evaluation.

Meanwhile, PDEA regional director Adrian Albarino has already ordered an investigation of the allegation that some of his men are involved in illegal drugs. (FREEMAN)