Joavan pleads not guilty to illegal drug possession

CEBU, Philippines - Joavan Fernandez yesterday pleaded not guilty to the case of illegal possession of drugs he is facing before the sala of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 57 Judge Enriqueta Belarmino.

Assisted by his lawyer, George Bragat, Joavan also faced on the same day the pre-trial of the case wherein the prosecution offered no proposal of evidence.

The defense asked the prosecution to admit that on February 6, 2011, there was no legal basis to implement the warrant of arrest against Joavan because he already posted a bail bond two days prior to that.

However, Assistant Cebu City Prosecutor Simaco Labata did not admit this.The prosecution is set to present three witnesses while the defense will present four witnesses, including Joavan.

Earlier, Judge Belarmino lifted the bench warrant she issued against Joavan for his failure to attend the scheduled arraignment, considering that it was his first non-appearance.

It was the Cebu City Police who filed the case for illegal possession of drugs against Joavan after 20 packs of shabu were recovered from his abandoned car in Barangay Carreta last February 6, 2011.

Joavan allegedly rammed the vehicle which had Police Chief Inspector George Ylanan during a police chase to serve the arrest warrant issued by Municipal Trial Court Judge Mario Manayon

The warrant was for the charge of malicious mischief filed by the Talisay City Police against Joavan for allegedly bumping their Toyota Innova patrol car last October 31, 2010 at the Cebu South Coastal Road. - THE FREEMAN