THE live-in partner of slain American marine biologist Dr. Kent Carpenter has applied for inclusion in the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) after identifying suspects in his killing and filing a rape complaint against one of the alleged intruders, a police official said Tuesday, Aug. 4.
Capt. Stephen Jaynard Polinar, spokesperson for the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO), said the 37-year-old woman’s application has been endorsed to higher authorities for evaluation.
If approved, the WPP would provide her with government protection while criminal cases arising from the July 12 attack are being prosecuted.
“We can assure the woman of her safety and security pending the case filed against the suspects in the killing of Dr. Carpenter,” Polinar said, adding that higher authorities will decide on her application.
Police said the woman, through the NOrPPO Women and Children’s Protection Desk, recently filed a rape complaint against one of the three men who allegedly entered Carpenter’s residence in Barangay Ajong, Sibulan.
Polinar identified the respondent as one of the two suspects arrested shortly after Carpenter, 73, was fatally shot. The other arrested suspect is the alleged gunman.
He declined to provide further details on the rape complaint, citing laws that protect the privacy of complainants and prohibit the disclosure of information in rape cases.
The woman was initially considered a person of interest in the investigation but was later reclassified as the prosecution’s primary witness after positively identifying the suspects in Carpenter’s killing.
Earlier medical examinations showed no apparent signs of rape or physical injuries. However, police clarified that the findings were not conclusive and that investigators considered other evidence in pursuing the complaint.
Meanwhile, prosecutors have filed a robbery with homicide case against six suspects. Two are under arrest, three are no longer in police custody after the reglementary detention period lapsed, while one remains at large.
Police said efforts are continuing to locate the remaining suspect as the criminal cases move forward in court. / PNA
