Live-in partner of slain marine biologist no longer a person of interest —Negros Oriental police 

Police have reclassified the live-in partner of American marine biologist Kent Carpenter from a person of interest to a witness in the investigation into his killing.

"Yung pag-konsidera natin sa kanya initially as POI, pwede siya maging witness as much as we believe that mayroon siyang relevant information doon sa nangyari...Mayroon po siyang nakita namin na impormasyon doon sa mga suspect. Kaya we are considering her now as our complainant-witness po," said Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office director P/Colonel Timmar Alam on Super Radyo dzBB.

(Our initial consideration of her as a POI [Person of Interest] can shift to her being a witness, especially since we believe she has relevant information regarding what happened... We saw that she has information regarding the suspects. That is why we are now considering her as our complainant-witness.)

The Philippine National Police earlier announced the arrest of three of the four suspects in Carpenter's death. One of the suspects, Alias JF, allegedly sexually assaulted the victim's live-in partner.

In Jun Veneracion's report in "24 Oras", video showed that Carpenter's live-in partner pointed to one of the arrested suspects and claimed that he sexually assaulted her.

"Ito ang nag-rape sa akin (He's the one who raped me)," she told police.

"Sinampal mo ako (You slapped me)," she added.

Carpenter, 73, was shot dead by the three suspects in his residence in Barangay Ajong in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, last Sunday evening, July 12.

The authorities said that Alias JF previously worked at the residence of the victims, which made him familiar with their house.

The police look into theft as the possible motive behind the crime.

"Ayun lang po muna ang nakikita naming motibo," said Alam, noting that the suspects have been charged for theft in the past and are residing within the said barangay.

(That is the only motive we see for now.)

The Philippine National Police said they are also verifying why the suspects killed Carpenter despite their motive.

"So all indicators as of this time point to the fact na this is just a robbery gone wrong. Planned talaga na pagnanakaw. So we are still verifying why they killed yung atin American marine biologist," said PNP Public Information Office OIC P/Colonel Allen Rae Co.

(So all indicators as of this time point to the fact that this is just a robbery gone wrong. The robbery was actually planned. So we are still verifying why they killed our American marine biologist.)

The police are still looking for another suspect who also entered the house.

Carpenter's live-in partner told the police that the suspects took some cash, a laptop, and a binocular.

"Sabi ng surviving victim natin a cash amounting to P75,000 tsaka laptop po at binocular. Pero dito sa mga nahuli natin, wala pa tayong na-recover na stolen items," said Alam.

(According to our surviving victim, [they took] cash amounting to ₱75,000, a laptop, and binoculars. But from those we have arrested, we have not yet recovered any stolen items.)

The PNP said that Carpenter's family is expected to arrive soon from abroad to recover his body.
—Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF/RF, GMA News