Cebu City Councilor Pablo Labra II called on police to exhaust all leads following the discovery of 23-year-old Isaac Vergel Viernes’s remains beneath cement in Barangay Pahina Central.
Viernes was reported missing on Oct. 7, 2026, and his mother identified his body after it was found in a vacant lot on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026.
Labra urged witnesses to step forward and moved to forward his speech to the Cebu City Police Office and Mayor Nestor Archival, a motion the city council approved.
POLICE should exhaust every lead in the death of Isaac Vergel Viernes, a 23-year-old Cebu City resident whose remains were found in a vacant lot in Barangay Pahina Central after he was reported missing on Oct. 7, 2026, a councilor said.
City Councilor Pablo Labra II made the appeal in a privilege speech before the council on Tuesday, Oct. 20, echoing Mayor Nestor Archival’s call for a swift investigation.
Labra, a former police official who chairs the council’s committee on public order and safety, cited reports that the remains were found beneath cement and other materials.
“This demands a thorough and impartial investigation to establish what happened and determine who may be responsible,” he said.
He asked the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to pursue credible leads and to hold anyone responsible accountable only on the basis of sufficient evidence.
Viernes’s remains were found on Monday, Oct. 19. He was identified by his mother.
Appeal for witnesses
Labra also appealed to anyone who saw Viernes in the early hours of Oct. 7, or in the days after, to come forward. He warned against sharing unverified information that could hurt the family or compromise the case.
“As public servants, we owe the Cebuanos more than expressions of sympathy. We owe them action. We owe them accountability,” Labra said.
Before speaking, Labra asked the council to observe a moment of silence for Viernes and in solidarity with his family.
Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who presided over the session, said crime should never be treated as a mere statistic.
The council approved Labra’s motion to forward copies of the speech to the CCPO and the Office of the City Mayor. / CAV