By I. Inojales | 11:19 PM Nov. 01, 2026
TAGBILARAN CITY — A 15-year-old boy has admitted to killing his 46-year-old mother and hiding her body in an abandoned septic tank in Panglao, Bohol, prompting police to declare the case solved on Sunday, November 1.
The victim was identified as Rea Hormiguera. Her body was discovered inside an old septic tank in Purok 3, Barangay Looc, on Saturday, October 31.
Police Major Joseph Lopena, chief of the Police Community Affairs and Development Unit (PCADU), said the minor confessed to striking his mother’s head with a hammer four times following a heated argument.
The confrontation reportedly stemmed from the mother’s reprimand over his frequent class-cutting at school.
After the killing, the boy allegedly dragged his mother’s body to the septic tank near Looc Elementary School and covered it with stones.
Investigators said the victim’s duster was removed while her body was being dragged to the tank.
The teenager also allegedly attempted to conceal the crime by cleaning bloodstains on the floor of their house. However, Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) personnel found traces of blood on a wall.
The hammer believed to have been used in the killing was recovered by police after his confession. The weapon had been carefully concealed, police said.
Before admitting to the crime, the boy initially claimed that his mother had left their house on October 30 and never returned.
Investigators also learned that the teenager was reportedly a good student and an athlete, had no known vices, and was not known to associate with a group of friends.
Authorities, however, found that he had reached a high level in the online game Roblox.
The 15-year-old, classified as a child in conflict with the law (CICL), is now under the custody of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development (MSWD).
