LAGONGLONG, Misamis Oriental — A 47-year-old man was killed after allegedly being stabbed 14 times by his own neighbor following a heated altercation fueled by a long-standing personal grudge in Barangay Kauswagan, Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental, on the night of July 13, 2026.
The victim was identified as Joseph Estalin Damasing, a resident of Purok 1-A, Barangay Kauswagan, who succumbed to multiple stab wounds sustained during the violent attack.
According to the Lagonglong Municipal Police Station, headed by Police Captain Jorefil Tan Manigos, the incident occurred at around 8:50 p.m. while Damasing was drinking with two friends in a nearby yard.
Initial police investigation revealed that the suspect, identified as Gengfe Natcher, 38, allegedly entered the area where the victim and his companions were drinking and reportedly caused a disturbance. The confrontation quickly escalated into a heated verbal exchange before turning into a physical fight.
Authorities said the suspect allegedly pulled out a 16-inch kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbed Damasing, inflicting 14 stab wounds on various parts of his body.
Investigators believe the attack stemmed from a long-standing personal dispute between the victim and the suspect, who both lived in the same barangay.
Despite efforts to save his life, Damasing was immediately rushed to the Misamis Oriental Provincial Hospital in Balingasag. However, attending physicians declared him Dead on Arrival (DOA) upon reaching the hospital at around 9:00 p.m.
Following the stabbing, the suspect voluntarily surrendered to responding police officers at around 9:05 p.m.
Before being taken into police custody, Natcher received treatment for minor injuries from members of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) Rescue Team, believed to have been sustained during the altercation.
He is now detained at the Lagonglong Municipal Police Station while investigators complete the documentation and prepare the appropriate criminal charges, which are expected to include murder or homicide, subject to the findings of the ongoing investigation and the assessment of prosecutors.
Police are also gathering sworn statements from witnesses who were present during the incident to establish the complete sequence of events and determine whether other circumstances may have contributed to the fatal confrontation.
The tragic incident has left residents of Barangay Kauswagan in shock, highlighting once again how unresolved personal conflicts can suddenly erupt into deadly violence.
Authorities continue to urge the public to seek peaceful means of resolving disputes and to immediately report escalating conflicts to barangay officials or law enforcement agencies before they turn fatal.