Lawrence Tabora Dacay, 23, was arrested by police on Friday, June 12, 2026, in Barangay Kinasang-an, Cebu City, following allegations that he beat his 49-year-old father, Ernesto, with lumber.
The incident allegedly occurred after the suspect became angry over the lack of food to accompany his rice; he now faces a formal complaint for the charge of attempted parricide.
Following his detention at Inayawan Police Station 7, the suspect admitted to the assault, cited a severe headache, and publicly asked his father to withdraw the case for an early Father’s Day.
DAYS before Father’s Day on June 21, 2026, Lawrence Tabora Dacay asked his father for forgiveness after allegedly beating him with a piece of lumber over the lack of food to go with his rice.
Police detained the 23-year-old Lawrence after the incident in Sitio Abellare, Barangay Kinasang-an, Cebu City, at 2:35 p.m. Friday, June 12, 2026.
Lawrence, who is unmarried, was held at the Inayawan Police Station 7 of the Cebu City Police Office. He faces a complaint for attempted parricide.
The complainant was his father, Ernesto, who is 49 and a fish vendor.
Ernesto sought help from barangay tanods after he said his son tried to kill him. He described Lawrence as violent and said his son repeatedly struck him with the lumber.
Different versions
Ernesto said he had scolded his son, whom he suspected of being under the influence of illegal drugs. Instead of listening, Lawrence allegedly got angry and took the lumber.
Lawrence allegedly aimed at Ernesto’s head. The father tried to escape and later said he could have been killed had he failed to run away.
After he escaped, Ernesto asked the tanods for help.
The tanods arrested Lawrence and turned him over to the Inayawan Police Station.
In an interview with Superbalita Cebu, Lawrence admitted what he had done.
He said he had cooked rice early in the morning but had not eaten by 2 p.m. because there was no food to go with it.
Lawrence said he had a severe headache and became angry because there was no food to go with the rice.
“Labad kaayo akong ulo, naglagot ko niya. Wala may sud-an ako siyang gibunalbunalan (My head hurt badly and I got angry at him. There was no food, so I beat him),” Lawrence said.
In his anger, Lawrence said he also struck the cooking pot. Hitting the pot had been his usual reaction whenever there was no food to go with the rice, he said.
Apology
Lawrence also said he had previously been brought to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center because of his vice.
He asked forgiveness from his father and his mother and said he hoped his father would forgive him so he would not be brought to the Cebu City Jail.
“Pasayloa ko, Pa, advance Happy Fathers Day! Dili nako magpabadlong. Nanghinaot ko sa hearing sa kaso i-atras nimo para makagawas ko (Forgive me, Pa. Advance Happy Father’s Day! I will not cause trouble again. I hope you will withdraw the case during the hearing so I can get out),” Lawrence said. / GPL
