A 15-year-old boy is under social welfare custody after admitting to killing his 46-year-old mother and concealing her body in an abandoned septic tank in Barangay Looc, Panglao, Bohol, following a domestic dispute, police said.
The victim, identified by the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) as Rea Hormiguera y Borres, was found dead at around 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 31, 2026, by a neighbor and a relative who noticed blowflies hovering over the unused septic tank near the family’s home.
They inspected the area, discovered the body and reported their finding to the barangay captain. The Panglao Municipal Police Station received the report at around 10:01 a.m. and dispatched investigators to the scene.
Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) examined the area, completing their processing at around 5 p.m.
Police Major Joseph Lopena, head of the BPPO’s Provincial Community Affairs and Development Unit, said investigators established the teenager’s involvement after looking into the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.
The investigation showed that the mother and son had argued after she confronted him for cutting classes. The disagreement reportedly escalated into a physical altercation, during which the mother hit and punched the boy four times on the head.
The teenager then retrieved a hammer and repeatedly struck her head, according to the investigation.
He subsequently dragged her body approximately 30 meters from their house to the abandoned septic tank and concealed it with stones.
Authorities recovered the hammer after the boy disclosed that he had hidden it beneath the kitchen sink. SOCO investigators also detected blood spatter on a concrete wall, which remained despite the teenager’s attempt to wash the floor.
The municipal health officer initially placed the time of death between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Oct. 31. The victim had sustained traumatic injuries to the head.
Before confessing, the teenager had told investigators that he last saw his mother on the night of Oct. 30. He claimed she told him she would travel to Tagbilaran City at around 9 p.m. and that he went to school the next morning after finding she had not returned.
Police said the minor later voluntarily went to authorities with his legal counsel, guardians and a local social welfare officer. He also executed an extrajudicial confession describing his role in the incident.
Lopena said the teenager was reportedly a good student who played soccer and practiced taekwondo. Investigators found no known record of illegal drug use or other vices.
Police also learned that he had reached a high level in the online game Roblox, but investigators have not established whether his gaming activities had any bearing on the killing.
The boy was the couple’s only child and lived with his mother following their separation.
He remains under the care of the Panglao Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office while undergoing a discernment evaluation to assess his capacity to understand the consequences of his actions.
Lopena said authorities intend to file a parricide case, depending on the evaluation’s findings.
The BPPO said it had resolved the case but would not disclose the minor’s identity, specific motives or other sensitive details. The police office cited Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, which provides legal protections for children in conflict with the law.
The provincial police office said it would continue pursuing the case while upholding the protections guaranteed to minors under the law.
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