𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗡 — A Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist was tragically killed after being stabbed in the chest while asleep in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.
The victim, Mervin Maligo Guarte, 33, was a member of the Philippine Air Force and assigned to the Fernando Airbase in Lipa City. Despite being rushed to a hospital, he did not survive.
The crime occurred at the home of Guarte’s friend, Barangay Kagawad Dante Abel, in Sitio Pinagkaisahan, Barangay Camilmil, Calapan City, at around 4:30 a.m.
According to Police Lt. Col. Roden Fulache, chief of the Calapan City Police, Guarte was asleep in Abel’s living room when he was stabbed by an unidentified suspect.
Guarte was able to ask for help from nearby residents, who rushed him to Sta. Maria Village Hospital before transferring him to Mindoro Medical Center, where he was declared dead.
The investigation revealed that Guarte had visited the area and had been drinking with friends until around 3:00 a.m. before the stabbing incident occurred.
Investigators recovered a knife at the crime scene, which is believed to have been used in the murder of Guarte.
Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor expressed his outrage over Guarte’s death, alongside a call for justice. “We will not stop in our demand for justice and will continue to seek accountability for those responsible for this crime,” Dolor wrote in a Facebook post.
Governor Dolor also instructed Oriental Mindoro Provincial Police Office Director Police Col. Edison Revita to prioritize solving the case.
Guarte was a celebrated athlete, winning multiple SEA Games medals. He was the gold medalist in the 2023 SEA Games men’s team relay, a gold medalist in the 2019 SEA Games men’s 5km, a silver medalist in the 2011 SEA Games men’s 800m and 1500m, and the 2024 Spartan Asia Pacific Champion in the men’s beast 21 km.
