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American Marine Biologist Shot Dead in Home Invasion in Negros Oriental
Kent Carpenter, 73, was killed by one of three men who entered his Sibulan residence on July 12. The marine biologist had served as an expert witness for the Philippines in the South China Sea arbitration. Police have opened an investigation into the attack.
Jul 14, 4:40 AM·1m read1 source
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American marine biologist Kent Carpenter, 73, was shot dead in his home in Sibulan, Negros Oriental on Sunday night, July 12. Three unidentified men forcibly entered the residence, and one of them shot Carpenter in the head, according to the regional office of the Philippine National Police. His 34-year-old companion sustained injuries during the incident.
Police Brigadier General Romano Cardiño called the killing a senseless act of violence. In a statement released Tuesday, he said investigators had been directed to exhaust all legal means to identify and apprehend those responsible at the soonest possible time.
Carpenter had served as an expert witness for the Philippines in the 2016 Arbitral Award issued by an international tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration filed by Manila against China in 2013.
He provided expert written records on the environmental harms of China’s reclamation and destructive fishing practices in the West Philippine Sea and gave oral testimony during the 2015 merits hearing. The marine scientist also conducted extensive research in the Verde Island Passage and supported the call to designate the area as a World Heritage Site.
In a 2024 video, Carpenter said he had been studying the marine environment in the Philippines since 1975.
