I. THE CELEBRATION THAT ENDED IN VIOLENCE

What was meant to be a joyous celebration—the ninth anniversary of a former couple in Cebu City—tragically culminated in a brutal, bloody criminal act.

According to reports, the suspect arrived at the location bearing flowers and chocolates to surprise his ex-girlfriend on their ninth anniversary. However, everyone was shocked when, at 2:00 AM the following day, they awoke to the sound of the woman’s cries for help.

When they looked into the room, they found the bl@ody body of Percy Paculaba (24). The tragedy involved a woman in her twenties, whose suspected perpetrator was her 23-year-old ex-boyfriend.

The criminal act occurred directly in front of the victim’s six-year-old child in Barangay Careta. The details were reported by Alan Domingo.

On December 11, 2025, past 2:00 AM, the Mabolo Police Station received a call about a stabbing case in Sitio Bagong Buhay, Barangay Careta, Cebu City, within their jurisdiction. Police immediately responded, finding a bl@ody woman lying face down on the bed inside the wooden and bamboo boarding house unit.

Upon checking for a pulse, they confirmed the victim was lifeless. They immediately requested a SOCO (Scene of the Crime Operatives) team to process the scene.

The victim was identified as Percy Paculaba (24), a renter residing with her six-year-old child. As SOCO processed the forensic evidence, Mabolo police began their investigation.

II. THE FAILED RECONCILIATION AND THE FATAL HAMMER BLOWS

Interviews with a close friend of the victim, who also resided in the building, revealed important details. On the evening of December 10, 2025, they saw the victim’s ex-boyfriend, Christian Lavarez (23), a factory worker from Mandaue City, arrive around 7:00 PM.

He brought chocolates and flowers, gifts for their ninth anniversary. The friend stated that Lavarez came to reconcile with Percy because they had been fighting and he hadn’t seen her in days.

The friend noted an immediate argument between the two; Lavarez insisted on reconciling, but Percy refused. Despite the argument, the two eventually quieted down and entered Percy’s rented room, leading neighbors to believe they had settled their differences.

Lavarez was also seen washing dishes, further convincing everyone that the former couple had resolved their dispute. However, at 2:00 AM, the witness was awakened by loud noise coming from Percy’s room.

Initially, they thought it was just a simple argument and hesitated to interfere. They saw Lavarez leave on his motorcycle shortly thereafter.

Despite his departure, they heard Percy’s faint voice pleading for help. The witness decided to enter the victim’s room and found her bl@ody and facedown on the bed, prompting an immediate call to the police.

At the crime scene, SOCO recovered a hammer and a knife—the murder weapons—along with some of the victim’s belongings. Christian Lavarez was immediately considered the primary suspect, and a hot pursuit operation was launched.

CCTV footage captured the suspect escaping on his motorcycle. According to the report, Percy sustained stab wounds to her abdomen and a fractured skull due to repeated hammer blows, which caused her immediate loss of life.

III. THE SUSPECT’S CONFESSION AND THE STAGED ALIBI

By 9:00 AM, the hot pursuit operation was concluded when the suspect voluntarily surrendered to the Mabolo City PNP station. He turned himself in to a police officer who was his neighbor, claiming he fled because he feared being ended by Percy’s neighbors and relatives.

In his sworn statement, Christian Lavarez immediately confessed to the act. He confirmed arriving at Percy’s boarding house at 7:00 PM on December 10 with chocolates and flowers for their ninth anniversary.

He claimed Percy refused the gifts and threw the flowers, enraging him. His vision reportedly blurred (nandilim ang paningin) when Percy declared she refused reconciliation because she had “moved on” and was seeing another man.

Lavarez claimed he acted in self-defense, asserting Percy attempted to stab him first. He claimed he grabbed the knife, stabbed her in the abdomen, and then, in a fit of uncontrollable rage, grabbed the hammer and struck her head repeatedly.

As evidence, he showed the investigator a cut on his hand. However, Percy’s friends and neighbors refuted Lavarez’s claims, stating the couple had been separated for a long time due to frequent arguments, often over Percy’s child.

Percy chose her child and definitively ended the relationship, which infuriated the persistent Lavarez. His inability to accept the breakup and Percy’s moving on led him to commit the brutal act in front of the six-year-old child.

Percy’s child is now undergoing psychosocial intervention and debriefing. Christian Lavarez is in PNP custody, facing multiple charges, including murder.

Percy’s tragic loss is yet another case of domestic violence where a woman’s life was brutally ended by a man who once vowed to love her. Even if justice is served, the pain remains, especially for the bereaved child who witnessed her mother’s violent passing.