Thursday, August 21, 2008 Editorials: Getting easy on Joavan
JOAVAN Fernandez should blame nobody but himself if people now get panicky in his presence and every infraction, no matter how minor, lands in the pages of newspapers and is reported on radio and television.
In fairness to Mayor Socrates Fernandez’s adopted son, he may not be booked for his latest caper, which was bringing two girls, one of them a minor, “somewhere” and worrying the parents to death.
No open intimidation was reported and the two girls told police investigators they were merely enjoying the time out, although the threat may have been subtle and borne out of past fears.
Intimidation
Joavan intimidates people because of reports of his volatile temper and accusations of criminal acts, plus the claim that he carries firearms and not just toy guns as his father once claimed.
The intimidation factor is heightened by the failure of the Talisay police to arrest Joavan, giving the public the impression that either the policemen are hopelessly inept or the mayor’s adopted son is just plain untouchable.
Unfortunately, despite the criticisms, both Talisay Police Chief Romeo Perigo and his superior, Cebu Provincial Police Chief Carmelo Valmoria, seem content either in shying away from the media or making vague statements about the Joavan case.
Inaction
That would not have been unfortunate had not Valmoria himself blocked the request of the relatives of the two vulcanizing shop workers mauled by Joavan and company for the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to help.
The point is that with Joavan surfacing ever so often and announcing his presence to Talisaynons and with reports that he is carrying firearms while doing so, it would not have been difficult for the Talisay police to trap him.
That makes the seeming inaction of Perigo and, to a certain extent, Valmoria, hard to fathom.
The more they continue to hem and haw on the Joavan case the more will the image of the police---not only in Talisay but also in the province---be dented and the more will Talisay folk lose respect in the police’s capability to secure the people.
