Soc willing to leave Alayon over Joavan

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez is willing to leave the Alayon party if the group considers him a burden. 

Fernandez is running for councilor under the party of Cebu first district and Talisay mayoral candidate Rep. Eduardo Gullas.

He is currently under fire because of his adopted son, Joavan.

“Andam ko mokanaog kung ilaha kong nahukman nga ako ang sagabal pwede dili ko mo-uban sa grupo para mangompanya,” Fernandez said. (I’m willing to step down, or avoid campaigning with the group.)

The mayor said he does not mind running as an independent candidate as he does not want to compromise his group. 

According to him, the issue against his son has been there since his previous terms but he was still elected. â€œSa akong pagdagan pila na ka-termino bisan naa pa’y isyu, midaog man gihapon ko,” Fernandez said. (These issues have not prevented people from voting for me.)

The only time he lost in the mayoralty election was when he and Gullas ran against each other in 2001. 

But Alayon campaign manager and city administrator Ritchel Bacaltos said that Fernandez will remain with the party. 

“Mayor Soc is still with the Alayon and will remain (so),” he told reporters yesterday. 

Bacaltos said that Joavan, who is helping his father campaign, is not part of the party’s campaign personnel. He believes that the latest controversy against Joavan will not affect the party’s campaign. 

Last Monday, Joavan reportedly tried to intimidate a certain Florita Echavez Rosas, a resident of sitio Kawayanan in barangay Lagtang, by allegedly displaying a gun. He was also accused of shooting a carshop worker days later.

Talisay City Police Station OIC Superintendent Elmer Lim warned persons coddling Joavan that they will be implicated in the case, including the owner of the house where Joavan may be hiding now.

Lim said Joavan is armed, dangerous and under the influence of drugs and could hurt even the person protecting him now.

Lim was upset that Fernandez did not keep his promise to surrender his son and urged the mayor to do so. – (FREEMAN)