THERE are no firearms registered in Joavan Fernandez’s name, police records show.
Last Saturday, before Judge Soliver Peras of the Regional Trial Court Branch 10 granted the request of the Talisay City Police Station for a search warrant, officials verified whether the Talisay City mayor’s son owns any licensed firearms.
There was none. This can aggravate the charges he will be facing,” Superintendent Rex Derilo, chief of the Firearms and Explosives Unit in Central Visayas, told Sun.Star Cebu.
The police can file a charge of illegal possession of firearms, as well as a violation of the gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Without a gun ban exemption, it is unlawful for anyone to carry guns, even if these are licensed and covered by a permit to carry, Derilo said. The gun ban will end on June 9.
Interviewed separately, PO2 Epifanio Comedido of the Talisay City police said they hope to file the cases today against Joavan. The mayor’s son was arrested Friday, after allegedly threatening and waving a gun at a motorist.
Though vital evidence was recovered from the vehicle Joavan drove when he was arrested, Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez will still face an obstruction of justice case.
Police found, during a search late Saturday night, a .45 pistol from the Isuzu Bighorn that Joavan was driving Friday afternoon. Joavan brought the vehicle to an auto repair shop, where he was arrested.
Fernandez allegedly arrived later and took a bag out of the vehicle, ignoring a police cordon.
Acting Cebu Provincial Police Chief Erson Digal said they have Vincent Joe Castrodes to thank for his unwavering stand on pursuing a case against Joavan.
“We are thankful to him that he is supporting us and we can pursue this case,” Digal said.
After following Joavan to a car shop in Barangay Lawaan II, Castrodes led police officers to the area, where they arrested the mayor’s son.
“Wala ko’y kasuko ni Mayor. Kaning tanan, among gibuhat kay amoa ning trabaho (I have no rancor toward the mayor. We are just doing our jobs),” Digal said.
He is confident about the implementation of the search, saying everyone witnessed that the police recovered the gun.
He pointed out the vehicle was locked the whole time it was guarded and that only Mayor Fernandez had the key. They had to ask him to give them the key.
Digal said Superintendent Elmer Lim had to explain to the mayor that they would have to force open the window to serve the warrant, which was why the mayor’s representative, Nito Fernandez, proceeded to the area with the key.
After the vehicle was opened, the search was conducted.
Recovered from the search were a Colt automatic .45 pistol, two magazines, a magazine pouch, a holster and 13 pieces of ammunition.
Digal said there were so many witnesses during the search and no one can accuse them of planting the firearm.
This year alone, at least five incidents have been linked to Joavan’s name.
The first was on February 5, when he allegedly brandished a gun at Jonathan Ignacio and his wife in a traffic-related incident. The couple, though, decided not to press charges.
On March 3, a team from the Special Weapons and Tactics in Cebu City rushed to a condotel along D. Jakosalem St. after receiving a call for help against an armed person. The reported person turned out to be Joavan. He, however, did not yield any firearms.
Two days after, Joavan was accused of bullying gas attendants in Talisay City. The gas attendants also did not file complaints against him.
Last May 29, a security guard of a subdivision in Talisay complained Joavan harassed him. The guard said he merely advised Joavan to minimize the noise from his motorcycle, but the mayor’s son allegedly threatened him, using a gun. Like most of the other alleged victims, the security guard preferred not to press charges.
Six days later, the incident with Castrodes took place.