PAHINA KILLING AFTERMATH: Tighter screening process for JO hiring ordered

Local

FOLLOWING reports that two suspects in the killing of 24-year-old Isaac Vergel Viernes were allegedly employed as job order (JO) workers at Cebu City Hall, the city government will tighten background checks on its personnel.

This includes requiring police and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearances.

Mayor Nestor Archival said the city government would review its screening procedures and place greater emphasis on the backgrounds of people hired as JOs, casual employees, and other personnel.

Archival acknowledged that the reported connection between the suspects and City Hall raised concerns about the city’s existing hiring process, particularly the screening of JOs, which he said needed to be stricter.

“Stricter, mas stricter ta,” Archival said when asked about plans to strengthen the city’s hiring policies.

He said the city would begin checking personnel backgrounds, particularly those who do not have police or NBI clearances.

Archival said the city needed to go beyond drug testing when screening prospective employees. He cited concerns that some applicants may have previous offenses.

He acknowledged that JO appointments had not been subjected to sufficiently strict screening, adding that the city needed to give greater importance to background checks for all types of personnel.

“From casual employees to JOs and BEOs, we need to give importance to the backgrounds of the people,” Archival said.

The mayor did not elaborate on the specific category of personnel he referred to as BEOs.

Archival said the review would cover different types of city

government personnel, rather than being limited to JOs.

He also noted that many appointments were set to run only until December, but said the city would begin checking personnel backgrounds in the meantime.

The planned changes come as police continue investigating Viernes’ killing and work to establish the involvement of multiple suspects.

Viernes had been missing since Oct. 7 before authorities recovered his remains from a vacant lot in Barangay Pahina Central, Cebu City, on Oct. 19.

The remains were unearthed near the Citilink Terminal from a burial site reportedly covered with cement and charcoal. His mother later identified him.

In a progress report dated Oct. 22, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said another principal suspect surrendered to police on Oct. 21 and expressed his intention to confess to his involvement in the killing.

The suspect gave a videotaped extrajudicial confession allegedly detailing the roles of three men in the attack.

Police said the recording was made in the presence of his lawyer and a media personality.

He was later arrested under a warrant for attempted murder in a separate case.

According to the police report, the suspect’s account placed him at the alleged crime scene in Sitio Riverside, Barangay Pahina Central, on Oct. 8. He reportedly said he assaulted Viernes before two other men allegedly joined the attack.

Two other principal suspects had also been arrested and detained in connection with the case.(TGP)