• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Police Regional Office (PRO) has activated a special investigation task group (SITG) to hunt down the three unidentified armed men, who shot dead American marine biologist, Dr. Kent Carpenter, inside his home in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, July 12.
The SITG Carpenter will focus on intelligence gathering, evidence processing, and the identification of the assailants.
“We assure the victim’s family, the community, and our foreign visitors that this case is being treated with utmost urgency, and no effort will be spared until justice is served,” PRO-NIR director, P/Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño, said July 14.
Carpenter, 73, a long-time research associate at Silliman University in Dumaguete City, was inside his residence in Barangay Ajong when he was shot in the head.
His 34-year-old Filipino partner was also injured.
The Protect Verde Island Passage (Protect VIP) campaign network and the science advocacy organization Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (Agham) issued statements condemning the killing and demanding for a swift investigation.
“Dr. Kent Carpenter dedicated his life to revealing the extraordinary richness of the Verde Island Passage to the world. His work reminded us that the Philippines carries a global responsibility to protect this irreplaceable marine treasure,” Fr. Edwin Gariguez, lead convenor of Protect VIP, said in a statement.
VIP is a marine corridor that spans over 1.4 million hectares, and encompasses Batangas, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, and Romblon.
Meanwhile, Silliman University (SU) said that Carpenter’s academic career in the Philippines spanned nearly five decades, beginning in 1976 through research collaborations with the late National Scientist Dr. Angel Alcala.
“Their partnership helped establish SU as an internationally-respected center for marine and coastal research, and contributed significantly to the scientific understanding of coral reef biodiversity, reef fish ecology, fisheries sustainability, and marine conservation,” the university said. | TMD
