CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – Slain Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Mervin Guarte will be honored for his achievements in a ceremony at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on Monday, Jan. 13.
AN honor guard from the 1701st Regional Community Defense Group of the Philippine Army guards the coffin of Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Mervin Guarte in Barangay Malinao, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. (Contributed photo by Marc Ambos via Jerry Alcayde)
A relative said that if plans push through, Guarte’s remains will be picked up in Oriental Mindoro and flown by a PAF air asset to the PAF headquarters.
Guarte’s mother, sister, fiancee Kristine Almiranez and their two children, and nine relatives were reportedly invited by PAF to the ceremony. They are still awaiting for an advisory from PAF as of posting time.
Guarte was stabbed to death at around 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 7 while he was sleeping inside the house of his friend, Barangay Councilor Dante Abel, in Sitio Pinagkaisahan, Barangay Camilmil, Calapan City.
The victim was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead.
Police Lt. Col. Roden S. Fulache, chief of the Calapan City Police Station, said a murder complaint was filed on Jan. 10 before the City Prosecutor’s Office against the suspect, Dionisio Refel Calooy, alias Uni, 31, a resident of Barangay Camilmil.
Fulache said they are optimistic that the court will issue a warrant for the arrest of the suspect after they submitted the written affidavits of the witnesses, closed-circuit television footage, and other important pieces of evidence to the prosecutor.
Calooy is still at large and the subject of a province-wide police manhunt.