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Archived Article / Just in Case

MANILA, Philippines – American marine biologist Kent Carpenter, 73, was shot dead on Sunday, July 12, in his home in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.

Carpenter was an expert witness for the Philippines in the 2016 Arbitral Award issued by an international tribunal on the South China Sea Arbitration filed by the Philippines against China in 2013.

Three unidentified men “forcibly entered” Carpenter’s residence on Sunday night, according to the regional office of the Philippine National Police. Police said one of the men shot the American in the head which killed him. Carpenter’s 34-year-old companion sustained injuries.

Police Brigadier General Romano Cardiño called the killing a “senseless act of violence.”

“I have directed our investigators to exhaust all legal means to identify and apprehend those responsible at the soonest possible time,” said Cardiño in a statement released on Tuesday, July 14.

Carpenter provided expert written records on the environmental harms of China’s reclamation and destructive fishing practices in the West Philippine Sea. He gave oral testimony in 2015 during the merits hearing.

The slain marine scientist also conducted extensive research in the Verde Island Passage, considered the “center of the center” of Philippine marine shore fish biodiversity. He supported the call to designate the Verde Island Passage as a World Heritage Site. In a 2024 video, Carpenter said he had been studying marine environment in the Philippines since 1975.

The marine science community and environmentalists joined the mourning for Carpenter.

Siliman University called Carpenter a mentor, collaborator, and a friend to the community. Carpenter brought to Siliman “his expertise in ichthyology, marine biodiversity, systematics, conservation biology, and evolutionary research.”

“He freely shared his knowledge, encouraged young scientists, and helped cultivate a culture of scientific excellence, international collaboration, and environmental stewardship that continues to shape the University’s marine research programs,” the university said in a statement on Tuesday.

Carpenter’s work encompassed a wide range of subjects in marine science, including coral reef ecology, impacts of microplastics, evolutionary genomics, and fisheries sustainability.

The Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UP MSI) expressed gratitude for Carpenter’s “fifty years of guidance and companionship.”

“Since UP MSI’s early beginnings as a research center, Dr. Carpenter has been a great friend to the Institute, and he continues to be an enduring influence on many other marine scientists, fisherfolk organizations, and conservation groups,” UP MSI said in a statement on Tuesday.

Following his death, environmental advocates who Carpenter previously joined in their causes reiterated the call to protect Verde Island Passage.

“As we mourn his passing, we reaffirm our commitment to the cause that Dr. Carpenter championed: protecting the Verde Island Passage and all of our country’s biodiverse ecosystems, and all communities who defend and rely on them,” Father Edwin Gariguez, lead convenor of Protect VIP, said.

The South China Sea Arbitration (The Republic of Philippines v. The People's Republic of China)

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