Personal grudge seen in assault on office chief

What could have provoked a Cebu City Hall contractual worker to hit his former boss in the head with a steel bar?

Dominic Diño, head of the Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) of Cebu City Hall, said the motive behind Wilson Kilat’s attack on Engr. Emiliano Cruz, head of the Building Maintenance Services (BMS) office, may even be personal.

“Although department heads can recommend. Cruz is not directly involved. Murag gipersonalan nato niya (Looks like it became personal),” Diño said.

The BMS is under the General Services Office (GSO) which is headed by Rolando Ardosa.

Kilat worked as a plumber in Cebu City Hall for 24 years. Cruz’s assistant Danilo Caraceno said working relations between Kilat and Cruz have been sour.

“Naa man sad siya’y batasan nga masuko dayon kung dili matuman ang iyang sugo. Medyo strikto pud siya (He has an attitude of easily getting angry when orders are not met. He’s quite strict.),” Caracena said of Cruz.

Two of Kilat’s six children work as an engineer and a call center agent. His salary is above minimum wage. Diño said the minimum wage in City Hall is P9,000.

Diño said if Kilat talked to him, he would have questioned the decision at the mayor’s office. Kilat’s six-month contract ended last August and wasn’t renewed for September and October.

The Cebu City police’s homicide section filed charges of frustrated murder against Kilat yesterday.

“Inquest has started (yesterday) and will be continued (today),” said PO1 John Eric Samosa of the city police’s homicide section.

Cebu City Market Administrator Raquel Arce said Cruz is now in stable condition.

“He has been transferred to a private room,” Arce told reporters. She said she witnessed the incident outside the BMS office.

“I was in the area during the incident. I personally saw him (Kilat) hit a uniformed city hall employee, who I later realized was Engr. Cruz,” she said.

Kilat was arrested by PO1 Christopher Mariot, Arce’s police escort.