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TALISAY CITY, Philippines - Joavan Fernandez, adopted son of Talisay City Mayor Soc Fernandez, denied beating up two vulcanizing shop workers whom he blamed for the theft of his father?s spare tire.
He said the workers were chased and mauled by a mob of unidentified neighbors past 1 a.m. on August 11 near his house in lower Mansueto, Bulacao, Talisay.
?Shouts of ?Kawatan! Kawatan!? (Thief! Thief!) reverberated in the neighborhood and the next thing I noticed was there were several persons chasing Winston Abellana, finally caught up with him and mauled him,? he said in his counter-affidavit filed on Monday by lawyer George Braggat.
The mauling complaint has placed Joavan at the center of fresh controversy involving alleged abusive conduct and his father?s repeated efforts to protect him.
The young man is facing charges of grave threats, serious illegal detention and physical injuries filed by Abellana and his cousin, Osbert Abellana.
The Abellana cousins, in their complaint, said they were picked up and brought by an angry Joavan to his home where they were mauled, pistol-whipped and threatened with death.
When police arrived at the scene, the victims were bloodied and kneeling on the ground with hands tied behind their back. Police arrested five companions. Joavan had slipped away.
In his defense, Joavan attached affidavits of seven witnesses who confirmed his account of a neighborhood lynching on August 11. Joavan said he was the one who pacified the mob from further harming the victims.
Five of the witnesses were Joavan?s companions arrested by police for the mauling. The two others were barangay tanod (village security officer) Vicente Rabaya and resident Maya Mabunay.
Joavan said the Abellana cousins ?came with me voluntarily? one after the other to the house.
?My purpose was to confront both of them in my presence regarding the sale of the said spare tire. I never hurled any grave threats against Osbert nor did I lay my hand on him,? he said.
According to Joavan, he had brought his father?s service vehicle to the vulcanizing shop to have the spare tire patched, but the tire was later stolen.
A shop worker, Jimmy Abellana, father of Winston, promised to pay for its replacement.
Joavan said he then drove to the house of shop owner Merceditha Abellana in Cansojong at 8 p.m. to complain. She, too, promised to pay for the missing tire, and reportedly let him take away the TV set and DVD player in the shop as ?guarantee? for payment.
No payment followed, irking Joavan.
?I did not intend to detain or deprive Winston Abellana of his liberty... but I only intended to investigate him and lure his father Jimmy Abellana to come to me and fulfill his promise to pay for the stolen spare tire or perchance to lure Merceditha Abellana to pay for it, as promised earlier,? Joavan said.
Joavan said he only wanted to confront Winston Abellana who ?confessed? to selling the spare tire with the help of his cousin. /Reporter Hayde D. Quiñanola and Correspondent Justin A.K. Vestil
