Parricide: What it is and its consequences
A 63-year-old man landed in jail after he shot his son dead after an argument in Brgy. Lahug, Cebu City on Monday evening, March 25, 2024. | Screenshot from video courtesy of dyHP via Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Parricide is the charge filed against a person found responsible for killing a spouse or direct blood ascendant or descendant.
Instead of murder, parricide is the most appropriate because of the factor of the relationship between the suspect and the victim.
Parricide is defined by law as the crime of killing an individual’s own relative.
Commonly perceived as a horrific type of killing, what makes it different from murder and homicide is the relationship between the killer and the victim.
READ: Father shoots son dead for disrespecting mom in Cebu City
This crime is penalized under Article 246 of the Revised Penal Code.
Under Article 246, as amended, parricide is described as “Any person who shall kill his father, mother, or child, whether legitimate or illegitimate, or any of his ascendants, or descendants, or his spouse, shall be guilty of parricide and shall be punished by the penalty of reclusion perpetua to death.”
This means that suspects found guilty of this crime may be sent to jail for 20 years and 1 day to 40 years, or be sentenced to death.
Elements of parricide
Elements of parricide include: when a person is killed, the victim was killed by the accused, and the victim is the father, mother, or child (legitimate or illegitimate), or a legitimate ascendant or descendant, or the spouse of the accused.
An example of a parricide incident is the shooting that took place in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City at past 10:00 p.m. on Monday, March 25.
READ: Cebu City shooting: Father remorseful for ‘accidentally’ killing his son
The father, 63-year-old Eugenio Bontilao Caballes is now waiting for the filing of parricide charges against him when he shot his son to death after an argument.
The suspect allegedly engaged in a heated altercation with his youngest son, 28-year-old Kenn, after the latter disrespected his mother who asked him to turn off the lights in his hut.
Angered by his son’s outburst, the father confronted the latter resulting in a heated argument. Then the son allegedly attacked his father with a wooden plank with a nail on one end. The father reportedly fell to the ground after getting struck in the neck area.
In retaliation, Eugenio took out a firearm and shot Kenn on the head, killing him.
Shortly after, Eugenio surrendered to authorities and remains in custody as of this writing.
READ: NBI files parricide raps vs son who killed, placed inside storage box his own mom
In an interview with radio station dyHP, Eugenio, still struggling to talk due to the wound on his neck, said that it was not his intention to kill his son and that he regretted doing it.
His grieving wife, Luisa, had already indicated that the family decided not to file charges as Eugenio is already old and had health problems.
However, police in Mabolo will still be filing parricide and other charges if necessary against Eugenio, according to Police Major Romeo Caacoy.
In a phone interview with CDN Digital, Caacoy said that they are preparing the necessary documents and will likely be filing the charges on Wednesday, March 27.
READ: NBI files parricide raps vs son who killed, placed inside storage box his own mom
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