Veteran Philippine team member and Southeast Asian Games multi-medalist Mervin Guarte was stabbed to death by an unidentified suspect while sleeping Monday in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, police said.
PNP Provincial Regional Office MIMAROPA reported that the victim was sleeping in the living room of the house of a barangay councilor when the assailant entered at around 4:30 a.m. and stabbed Guarte’s chest using a knife.
The suspect quickly escaped in an unknown direction after the crime.
Guarte, 33, started represented the Philippines in athletics at the 2011 Jakarta SEA Games and pocketed a pair of silver medals in the men’s 800m and 1500m events.
He shifted to obstacle course racing in 2019 and captured his first SEA Games gold when Manila hosted the biennial meet six years ago after ruling the men’s 5km race.
Guarte bagged another gold in the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia after anchoring the OCR men’s relay team.
He is an Airman First Class in the Philippine Air Force.
“From his remarkable performance in athletics to his triumphs in obstacle course racing, Guarte’s legacy as a dedicated athlete and a true Filipino hero will forever be remembered,”
the Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation said.#
