A 62-year-old farmer was arrested after allegedly stabbing a fellow farmer twice following an argument in Caba, La Union, on Sunday night, 9 August.

Police said the incident occurred around 8:30 p.m., prompting personnel from the Caba Police Station to respond to a reported stabbing.

Responding officers found the suspect, also a farmer and Caba resident, already apprehended and turned over by two barangay tanods who intervened during the incident.

Initial police investigation showed that the suspect had been drinking alcohol with neighbors at a nearby store, which authorities said was reportedly their usual routine after work.

After the drinking session, the group proceeded to a nearby wake. The wake was adjacent to the area where the stabbing later occurred.

Police said the suspect later remembered that he had left his umbrella at the store and returned to retrieve it.

At the store, he encountered the 45-year-old victim. For reasons that remained unclear, an argument broke out between the two and escalated into a physical confrontation.

During the altercation, the suspect allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim once in the abdomen.

The victim reportedly attempted to flee but slipped and fell. The suspect allegedly pursued him and stabbed him a second time in the back.

Concerned residents who witnessed the incident intervened and managed to pacify the two men.

The victim was immediately taken to Caba District Hospital by the Barangay Rescue Service with assistance from a concerned individual. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was later referred to and transferred to the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in San Fernando City for further treatment.

The suspect remains in police custody.

Police processed the scene and are identifying and interviewing witnesses while gathering additional evidence to establish the circumstances surrounding the stabbing.

Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing pending the filing of appropriate criminal charges against the suspect.