By CESAR JOLITO III

All four suspects in the fatal shooting of American marine biologist Kent Edward Carpenter in Negros Oriental’s Sibulan town are now under police custody, while two of them are now facing robbery with homicide charges.

Special Investigation Task Group Carpenter filed criminal complaints for robbery with homicide against 26-year-old Mark Oracoy and 40-year-old Jal Filipinas before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Dumaguete City yesterday.

The two suspects were arrested in separate police operations conducted in Sibulan’s Barangay Ajong on Wednesday night, July 15.

Meanwhile, two other suspects, 21-year-olds Ciem Diputado and Eric Lenihan, voluntarily surrendered to authorities on Thursday, July 16.

Diputado surrendered at 4:06 a.m., while Lenihan turned himself in to the Ajong village chairman before being handed over to the Sibulan police at 11:15 p.m.

Police said the investigation against the two remaining suspects is ongoing.

Earlier, 73-year-old Carpenter was shot dead inside his residence in Barangay Ajong on July 12.

His live-in partner survived the attack and provided investigators with key information that aided the case.

The Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) said investigators carried out crime scene reconstruction, forensic examinations, CCTV review, intelligence operations, and witness interviews, which led to the identification and apprehension of the suspects.

PRO-NIR Regional Director Police Brigadier General Romano Cardiño commended the operating units for their coordinated efforts, saying the developments reflect the Philippine National Police’s commitment to pursuing justice through professional and evidence-based investigations.

Police assured the public that the investigation remains active and that additional charges will be pursued if warranted by the evidence./CCJ, WDJ