Charges filed vs 2 of 4 Carpenter slay suspects

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Charges of robbery and homicide have been filed against two of four suspects in the killing of American marine biologist Kent Edward Carpenter, police reported yesterday.

The charges against Mark Bucog, 26, and Jal Filipinas, 40, were filed on Friday by the Special Investigation Task Group “Carpenter” before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Dumaguete City.

The filing of the complaint came five days after the fatal shooting of Carpenter at his home in Barangay Ajong in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.

Carpenter’s Filipina partner, who was earlier tagged as a person of interest in the case along with her sibling, has been named key witness in the case.

Bucog allegedly shot dead Carpenter while Filipinas reportedly sexually assaulted the victim’s partner. They were arrested in Barangay Ajong on July 15.

Two other suspects, Ciem Deputado and Eric Lenihan, surrendered to authorities on Thursday and Friday, respectively. They reportedly acted as lookouts for the group.

The Negros Island Region (NIR) police commended the members of the task group for their extensive investigative efforts including reconstructing the crime scene, analyzing video footage and interviewing potential witnesses.

The NIR police said these efforts led to the identification, arrest and surrender of the suspects.

“While we have made significant progress, our work does not end here. We will ensure that everyone involved is held accountable before the law,” Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño, NIR police director, said.