Calapan City police investigate the crime scene where Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist Mervin Guarte was stabbed to death in his sleep early morning Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Photo from the Calapan City Police Station)
MANILA, Philippines — Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist Mervin Guarte died after he was stabbed in his sleep early Tuesday morning, Jan. 7, while visiting a friend in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro province.
Guarte, 33, won gold in obstacle racing at the 2019 and 2023 SEA Games and silver in track and field at the 2011 SEA Games. He was also a member of the Philippine Air Force, assigned to the Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas.
READ: SEA Games 2023: Mervin Guarte relishes success in obstacle course racing
According to the Calapan City police’s incident report, Guarte was sleeping in the living room of village councilor Dante Albo Abel’s house in Sitio Pinagkaisahan, Barangay Camilmil, when an unidentified suspect entered the home and stabbed the athlete in the chest.
While the suspect fled in an unknown direction, Guarte still managed to seek help from neighbors.
“Hinabol pa nga nila ‘yung suspect. Hindi na lang nila inabot, tapos na-interview pa rin siya ng ating imbestigador sa ospital yung biktima,” Calapan City police chief Lt. Col. Roden Fulache said in a phone interview with reporters in Camp Crame on Tuesday afternoon.
(They even chased the suspect but couldn’t catch him. However, our investigator still managed to interview the victim at the hospital.)
“Nasa malapit sa balikat, sa left shoulder ‘yung saksak. Hindi naman malapit sa gitna [ng dibdib] sa may puso,” Fulache said, describing the stab wound.
(The stab wound was near the shoulder, on the left side. It wasn’t close to the center of the chest near the heart.)
Guarte was rushed to the Santa Maria Village Hospital and then transferred to the Mindoro Medical Center, the Calapan City police said.
However, according to Fulache, Guarte succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead at the Mindoro Medical Center.
Guarte was in Calapan City to visit his friend Abel. They had drinks at a compound in the area before Guarte went to sleep in Abel’s house.
“Sa initial interview kina konsehal at saka doon sa ibang nandun sa area, wala naman daw nakaaway nung time ng inuman,” Fulache explained.
(In the initial interviews with the councilors and others in the area, they said there was no altercation during the drinking session.)
“Pero hanggang umaga sila nag-inom, hanggang 3 a.m. So, nung 3 a.m., pumasok na itong victim si Guarte doon sa bahay ni Konsehal Abel. Doon sa sala, doon siya natulog sa sofa,” he added.
(But they drank until morning, until 3 a.m. At 3 a.m., the victim, Guarte, entered the house of Councilor Abel. He slept on the sofa in the living room.)
The Calapan City police chief said law enforcement was still investigating the incident, and those who drank with Guarte and Abel are being looked at as persons of interest.
READ: SEA Games: Guarte, Abahan complete PH sweep of obstacle course racing
“Tinitingnan namin anggulo doon, yung baka nagkaroon sila ng hindi pagkakaunawaan during the drinking session. Yun yung inisa-isa namin ngayon. Pina-follow up namin kung sino yung mga taong kasama niya,” Fulache said.
(We’re looking into that angle, whether there was a misunderstanding during the drinking session. That’s what we’re investigating now. We’re following up on who the people were who were with him.)