Pump boys missing from station

CEBU, Philippines - The two pump attendants Joavan Fernandez had encountered at a gasoline station last week in barangay Bulacao, Talisay City have not allegedly reported for work.

Pump attendants Rodel Requina,19, and Rolando Nara, 20, residents of Dalaguete town, have not been seen at Shell Station in the barangay after the encounter with the son of Mayor Socrates Fernandez last Friday dawn.

It was Supt. Henry Binas, chief of the Talisay City Police Station, who confirmed the reports, saying that a check with the station’s supervisor that verified them.

Binas said that he sent investigators to get the affidavits of Requina and Nara for the supposed filing of formal complaints against Joavan, but the supervisor had told them that two have stopped reporting since Friday.

“The supervisor has however assured me that when the two re-appears at the gasoline station, he will inform me shortly,” said the police chief.

Binas however said that if the two alleged victims would still remain hesitant in filing a complaint then they can no longer do anything about it.

Requina and Nara have only lodged a complaint before the Barangay Hall of Bulacao, shortly after Joavan allegedly threatened them harm at 12:30 a.m. last Friday.

According to them, Joavan was irked after they refused to gas up his Mitsubishi Pajero (GMC 357), as it had no prior note from the mayor. The vehicle is not one of the mayor’s service vehicles.

It was also alleged by the victims that Joavan had also smacked Requina in the head with his cellphone, with which he would use to call his father-mayor for help, allegedly because of his irritation that they still refused to give him fuel for his car despite his intimidation.

Joavan had also allegedly tried to kick Nara but missed.

Guard on-duty Jundel Antica and a female cashier reportedly saw the whole event.

Antica, for one, corroborated the two victims’ accounts. Antica added that it was the second time that Joavan did it to them, and even went to the point of issuing threats that the issue was not over yet.

The whole thing was also allegedly caught by the station’s close-circuit camera.

The tension had however subsided at the gas station that dawn when the mayor arrived in the scene to pay for his son’s gas. Joavan at this point however had already driven away from the station.

Reportedly, Mayor Fernandez according to the victims had appealed to them not to blow up the issue.

Many believed that Requina and Nara like the rest of Joavan’s victims were also paid not to file a case against the mayor’s controversial son. (FREEMAN NEWS)