*Skeletal remains believed to be 23-year-old Isaac Vergel Viernes, missing since Oct. 7, 2026, were dug up Oct. 19 from a vacant lot in Pahina Central, Cebu City.
Jenny Viernes identified the remains as her son by his black shorts, red underwear, and tooth gap after a tip led police and CCDRRMO personnel to the site.
City Councilor Dave Tumulak stated the planned killing involved wrapping the body in cloth, dropping it in a canal, and covering it with cement and charcoal.
SKELETAL remains believed to be those of a 23-year-old man missing since Oct. 7, 2026, were dug up from a vacant lot in the former One Citilink Terminal in Barangay Pahina Central, Cebu City, on Monday afternoon, Oct. 19.
Jenny Viernes identified the remains as those of her son, Isaac Vergel Viernes, who had a live-in partner and lived in Sitio Baskio, Barangay Basak Pardo in the city.
She recognized him by the black shorts and red underwear he was wearing, and by a gap in his teeth.
Jenny said she last saw her son in the early hours of Oct. 7, lying down at home after a night of selling sisig. He left soon after without telling anyone.
She assumed he had gone to his partner’s house in Barangay Labangon. The partner later told the family that Isaac never came home and the family began looking for him.
The family reported his disappearance to police and posted appeals on social media.
Tip leads to lot
On Sunday, Oct. 18, someone told the mother that police had received information that her son had been dumped in the vacant lot. The family immediately sought help from authorities.
Police inspected the site with personnel from the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) and confirmed a foul smell in the area.
City Councilor Dave Tumulak said bones and other items that may serve as evidence were recovered after the team dug about two feet into the ground.
“Naay nakita nga mga bukog. Di naman gyud siya tibuok nga lawas. Gi-confirm sa taga punerarya nga tawo na,” Tumulak said.
(Bones were found. It’s no longer a whole body. Funeral parlor staff confirmed they are human)
“Ang nahitabo ani, kining maong lalaki gipatay, gimasahan, gisagulan og uling para dili manimaho. Naa say nakita didto sa site nga didto nagmasa. Naa say nakuha nga mga ebidensya, sama sa sako nga duol didto sa area. So, planado ang pagpatay aning tawhana. Giputos siya og panapton, gihagbong sa kanal niya gi-masahan dayon,” he said.
(What happened here is that this man was killed, covered with cement and mixed with charcoal so it would not smell. Something was also found at the site showing that the cement was mixed there. Evidence was also recovered, such as a sack near the area. So the killing of this man was planned. He was wrapped in cloth, dropped into the canal and then covered with cement.)
Cement not yet hardened
The cement had not fully set, which the councilor said showed it was poured recently. He added that the suspects may have entered the lot from the rear.
Relatives obtained closed-circuit television footage showing Isaac with a man and a woman on a bridge across from the burial site shortly after 4 a.m. on Oct. 7.
Motive unclear
The family said they do not know what led to the killing, as they were not aware of anyone he had a dispute with.
Police are continuing the investigation and are looking into possible angles in the case. / JDG