Man stabbed dead over a joke

A 23-year-old laborer was stabbed dead by his neighbor over a plain joke during a drinking bout on Saturday night in Caloocan City.

Bernard Martinez, 23, of Block 30, Lot 5, Langaray St., Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City, succumbed to a stab wound in the chest while being treated at the Tondo General Hospital.

PO2 Alberto Eustaquio of the city police’s intelligence and investigation branch said that Martinez and the suspect, Hulyo Gamarines, a neighbor, were having a drinking session with their friends when the incident occurred at about 12:30 a.m.

The group were reportedly laughing over a funny story when Martinez suddenly slapped the suspect as he felt insulted by the joke.

Irked, the suspect pulled out a knife and mauled Martinez. Cooler heads tried to intervene but failed to stop Gamarines from attacking the victim.

Martinez sustained a gaping wound on the left side of his chest and was rushed to Tondo General Hospital but was pronounced dead by attending physician Dr. Jerry Javier at around 1:55 a.m.

Caloocan City policemen are now hunting down the suspect. –Pete Laude