A 50-year-old man was fatally stabbed while briefly watching a card game during a wake in Purok 1 West, Barangay Panalsalan, Maramag, Bukidnon, on Sunday morning, August 23, 2026.
Initial information from the Maramag Municipal Police Station (MPS) showed that the victim had returned to the wake to retrieve his motorcycle. While waiting, he reportedly stopped for a moment to watch several people playing cards at the gathering.
At around 10 a.m., however, the victim was allegedly approached by a 54-year-old man. Police said the suspect suddenly embraced the victim before stabbing him twice—once in the chest and once in the abdomen.
The victim sustained serious stab wounds and collapsed following the attack. Members of the Maramag Rescue Team immediately brought him to the Bukidnon Provincial Hospital–Maramag for emergency medical treatment, but he was declared dead on arrival by attending doctors.
The suspect reportedly fled the area immediately after the stabbing and remains at large.
Police investigators are looking into a previous argument between the victim and the suspect that allegedly occurred at the same wake the night before. Authorities are considering the earlier altercation as a possible motive, although the circumstances and exact cause of the confrontation remain subject to further investigation.
The Maramag MPS has launched a hot pursuit operation to locate and arrest the suspect. Investigators are also continuing to gather statements from witnesses and other persons who may have been present during the incident to establish the sequence of events leading to the fatal stabbing.
Authorities emphasized that the details remain based on initial police information and may be revised as the investigation progresses.