TO find out if the police properly handled the case of Joavan Fernandez, an investigation will be conducted on three police officers who responded to the traffic accident.

Joavan hogged the limelight again when he allegedly whisked out a handgun and pointed it at a couple, whom he nearly ran over at a highway intersection in Barangay Lawaan 1 last Friday dawn.

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Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Lani-o Nerez said they will study the circumstances to find out if the police officers were right in not impounding Joavan’s vehicle and not searching it after an accusation of gun-toting was aired.

Ordered relieved were traffic investigator SPO1 Elmer Saladas and responding officers PO2 Roelito Tano and PO1 Manolito Daal, a field training policeman.

Asked if their relief was an appropriate action, acting Cebu Provincial Police Chief Erson Digal said it was the chief of police’s prerogative.

But if it is found that they had committed lapses in handling the case, a relief will not be enough.

Talisay City Police Chief Henry Biñas and the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management (PIDMB) have been directed to assess the circumstances of the case.

Questions about the police-men’s failure to impound the vehicle, especially after two people were injured, surfaced. They also did not search Joavan’s vehicle after victim Jonathan Ignacio claimed a gun was pointed at him.

Nerez said they had to find out first if there were enough circumstances that would have allowed the police officers to legally search the vehicle.

Meanwhile, former Provincial Board Member Raul Bacaltos says Mayor Socrates Fernandez’s failure to rein in his son, Joavan, reflects his leadership and management of the city.

“What Talisay has become today since he took over as mayor in 2004 reflects the same kind of responsibility that he imposes on his own son. If this will continue, the Talisaynon is going nowhere,” Bacaltos said.

Bacaltos said Fernandez is apparently not the victim of Joavan’s unabated abusive attitude.

“Di si Soc ang luoy. Joavan is the victim here because of the wrong upbringing of a doting father who apparently doesn’t know his responsibility to his son,” he said.
He said though that the issue of upbringing is between Joavan and his father.

What bothers Bacaltos is that Fernandez is the City’s top elective official, serving as father to over 170,000 Talisaynons.

From 150,000 in 2000, Talisay City’s population rose to 179,359, based on the 2007 national census record.

This coming May 10 polls, Fernandez again is seeking his third and last election.

Bacaltos, who is challenging Fernandez’s reelection bid, took exception to the allegations that his comment on Joavan’s recent brush with the law was merely to gain media mileage.

As a true-blue Talisaynon, Bacaltos said he is only showing his concern for innocent and helpless civilians who might encounter Joavan in the streets.

He was reacting to Bucao’s comment over dyRF Radyo Fuersa that some people were overreacting and using Joavan’s latest incident for political gains.

But Bacaltos could not help but notice that Bucao has softened his comment on Joavan, unlike before when he was still with the opposition camp.

Bacaltos hopes Biñas will conduct a no-nonsense inquiry on the traffic policemen who responded and handled the investigation on Joavan’s case.

He wondered why the policemen did not frisk Joavan or search his sports utility vehicle when they were told by the injured Ignacio couple—Jonathan and Irene—that Joavan waved his gun at them.

With the information, the police now had personal knowledge that would have legally justified a lawful search, Bacaltos, a lawyer, said.

Joavan faces attempted homicide, reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property and physical injury at the city prosecutor’s office. (GC/MEA)