Daven Tamayo

Suspect in 2025 killing of SEA Games gold medalist arrested in Tarlac

Article (news)

Dennis Datu

ABS-CBN News

<p>TARLAC — Authorities have arrested the primary suspect in the killing of Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist Mervin Guarte in 2025.</p><p>According to Police Regional Office (PRO) MIMAROPA Regional Director PBGen. Christopher Dela Cruz, the 35-year-old suspect was arrested around 4 p.m. Tuesday in Barangay Banaba, Bamban, Tarlac. </p><p>He was served a warrant of arrest for murder issued by Judge Charity Grace Alcantara-Rico, presiding judge of Calapan City Regional Trial Court Branch 40.</p><p>MIMAROPA PNP Regional Intelligence Division (RID) 4B led the multi-agency operation, which also involved units of the Oriental Mindoro and Tarlac police, air force and naval intelligence, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2082043689749414048&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-07-28T11%3A13%3A43.975831%3A8d1018e4-b2a8-492f-b2ec-38c5453a3807%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=38906be8b8351935fc16d9134c6df56186a511e6&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:490px;height:663px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="2082043689749414048"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>Guarte, a Philippine Air Force airman, was fatally stabbed on January 7, 2025, while asleep at a friend’s house in Barangay Camilmil, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, following a drinking session.</p><p>The suspect, who was also a resident of Barangay Camilmil, was listed as the No. 4 Most Wanted Person in Oriental Mindoro.</p><p>Guarte won two silver medals at the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in the men&#x27;s 800-meter and 1,500-meter events in track and field.</p><p>He eventually shifted to obstacle racing, where he won gold in the men&#x27;s 5km event at the 2019 SEA Games.</p><p>He was also part of the team that secured a gold medal in the men&#x27;s team relay at the 2023 SEA Games.</p>

<p>Authorities have arrested the primary suspect in the killing of Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist and Philippine Air Force (PAF) Airman First Class (A1C) Mervin Guarte in 2025.</p>

Authorities have arrested the primary suspect in the killing of Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist and Philippine Air Force (PAF) Airman First Class (A1C) Mervin Guarte in 2025.