Clubhouse attendant paid? Victim withdraws raps vs Joavan

CEBU, Philippines - Days after the case was filed in the court against Joavan Fernandez, the subdivision clubhouse attendant, who accused the mayor's son of pointing a gun at him, is now in hiding reportedly due to fear after receiving monetary gift from Joavan himself.

In an unsigned letter addressed to "Mam Shan" in reference to Vista Grande subdivision homeowners' association vice president Elizabeth Chan, Raymund Paran, 19, asked for her apologies that he had to leave right away.

"...3 ka adlaw ko nag korog korog sa akong kahadlok nga patyon unya ko ni Jovan kong mopadayon ko’s akong kaso niya," said Paran in a two-page letter written in a spring notebook.

The said letter is now in the custody of the Talisay City Police Station.

"Sige man gud og ari si Joavan niingon siya ayaw jod ko palagota honahonaa sa makadaghan. Tungod sa akong kahadlok niperma nalang ko para wa lagi nay problema," Paran added.

"Human nako og perma dili nako kapogngan akong kaugalingon nga mohawa naglikay lang ko sa tanan mam pasayloa tawon ko mam malooy tawn mo nako mam dili ko ganahan og samok," his letter further reads.

Paran also said that after he signed a document that Joavan handed to him, the latter handed him P4,000.

"Mam gigaan ko ni Joavan P4,000 mam paghuman nako og perma. Ako nalang gidawat para gamiton sa akong papa," he said.

Paran did not explain in his letter what the document he signed was. Repeatedly, he also asked forgiveness from Ederlina Anderson, president of the homeowners, for leaving.

It was Anderson and Chan who reported to the police Saturday the "abrupt disappearance" of Paran.

According to Romnick Padinas, also a clubhouse employee, Paran was last seen at 10 p.m. on Friday.

Paran accused Joavan of pointing a gun at him last December 15 when he got delayed in giving him the two liters of Coke that he ordered.

Irked, Joavan allegedly took his .45 caliber pistol, aimed it at the helpless Paran and fired it, but to a different direction. Then, without paying for the Coke, the mayor's son drove off his car on the way to his father's house of prayer located on a cliff of the adjacent subdivision.

Last week, robbery charges were filed against Joavan in relation to the case. The court recommended P10,000 for his bail.

As of yesterday afternoon, Paran has still not showed up, which led many to believe that he will not return again to face the case he filed against Joavan.

Meanwhile, Regional Trial Court Branch 18 presiding judge Gilbert Moises has directed the City Prosecutor of Talisay to file its comments within three days from receipt of the order in relation to the extreme urgent ex-parte motion to dismiss the robbery case filed against Joavan.

Moises ,in his order dated March 8, set March 16, at 9:30 in the morning, for the hearing of the motion filed by the accused.

In his motion, Joavan said that Paran has signed a voluntary-irrevocable affidavit of desistance and will no longer pursue the robbery case against him as both parties have already peacefully-amicably settled their differences, as it was just only a mere communication gap.

The younger Fernandez also asked for his case not to be raffled and for it to be dismissed outrightly in view of the affidavit of desistance by the complainant.

The case however was already raffled to Brach 18 the other day.

In his order, Moises stated that "without prejudice to the court acquiring jurisdiction over Fernandez, has directed Talisay Prosecutor's Office to comment on the accused urgent motion.”

Paran, in his affidavit of desistance, said after a careful study of the case, he had finally decided not to pursue it and his decision has risen simply because he has no interest in it.

He added he was neither requested, offered any consideration nor threatened, forced, coerced and intimidated to withdraw the case and it was his own volition that he signed the affidavit of desistance, free from any reservation. –(FREEMAN)