FLORA, Apayao November 12 – A 60-year old farmer died after he was stabbed by a fellow farmer in front of his wife while on his way home at Purok San Pablo, barangay Balluyan, here around 4:25 pm Tuesday.
Superintendent Cherry Fajardo, public information officer of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera, identified the victim as Jesusie Banyaga Gaoiran, 60, while she named the suspect as Mariano Pablo Dayag, both married, farmers, and residents Purok San Juan, Balluyan, Flora, Apayao..
Initial police investigation showed the vicdtim, together with his wife and two other companions, were on board a 4-wheel trike locally known as ‘balagbag’ when the knife-wielding suspect suddenly flagged their vehicle down upon reaching the place of incident.
At this juncture, for still unknown reasons, the suspect suddenly stabbed the victim several times hitting him on his right arm and chest before fleeing towards an undisclosed direction.
The suspect was immediately rushed to the flora District Hospital for medical treatment but he was pronounced dead on arrival by attending physicians due to fatal stab wounds while the suspect is now the subject of a manhunt operation and the cause of the incident is still being ascertained.