A private dispute over online messages escalated into violence on Tuesday afternoon in the southern Palawan town of Narra, leaving a teenage boy injured and a 35-year-old farmer now facing possible charges of attempted murder.
The incident unfolded around 2:15 p.m. in Barangay Malinao, according to a report from the Palawan Provincial Police Office. Authorities identified the suspect only by the alias “Val,” a married man and resident farmer, who allegedly attacked the minor with a jungle bolo following an emotionally charged confrontation.
Preliminary police investigation suggests that the teenager, accompanied by a witness, had gone to Val’s home to confront him about a chat conversation that had reportedly caused tension between them. When the boy asked the suspect to show the contents of the chat, Val allegedly became irate, entered his house, and returned armed with a bolo.
Without warning, he reportedly struck the victim near the ear.
The teen sustained injuries but is now in stable condition, officials said. The suspect fled the scene shortly after the incident. Police have not recovered the weapon used in the attack and continue to search for it as part of the investigation.
As of Friday, local authorities were preparing formal charges of attempted murder against the suspect. Investigators are also looking into whether digital evidence could shed further light on the nature of the dispute.
