MATI CITY, Davao Oriental — “I am his son. I have the right to kill him.”
These chilling words came from 36-year-old Arnel Tapdasan, who mercilessly hacked his 62-year-old father, Nilo Tapdasan, to death inside their home at Purok Daisy 1, Mapantad, Barangay Sainz, Mati City, on Monday afternoon, October 20.
According to the Mati City Police Station, the victim was found lifeless and drenched in blood, his neck nearly severed from multiple bolo strikes. Family members described the scene as “horrific and inhumane,” saying the father’s body was almost decapitated.
Witnesses said that prior to the attack, Arnel was seen at the back of their house, talking to himself and shouting incoherently. Moments later, neighbors heard screams coming from inside the Tapdasan residence.
When asked by authorities why he killed his father, the suspect initially appeared confused and simply muttered that he didn’t know what happened. Later, he declared without remorse, “I didn’t regret what I did. If my father were still alive, the world would remain chaotic.”
Relatives of the victim are determined to seek justice, expressing their wish that Arnel “rots in jail.” One family member, who asked not to be named, said they don’t care if the suspect is mentally unstable or suffering from depression — “He must still face the consequences of what he did.”
The suspect allegedly admitted that he had long been waiting for someone else to kill his father but, since no one did, he took matters into his own hands.
Police investigators are still probing the motive behind the gruesome parricide, while Arnel remains under police custody.