POC president mourns stabbed death of OCR champion Guarte

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham 'Bambol' Tolentino expressed sadness over the death of obstacle sports racing champion Mervin Guarte, who was stabbed to death while sleeping in Calapan City on Tuesday morning.

Tolentino emphasized the significant loss to Philippine sports and joined calls for a swift investigation into the crime, noting that police have identified a 'person of interest' in the incident.

Guarte, part of the gold medal-winning men's relay team in OCR at the Cambodia 2023 Southeast Asian Games, was also a silver medalist in track events and was set to defend his titles this December in Thailand before his tragic death.

Tolentino plans to reach out to local officials including Mayor Malou Flores-Morillo and Governor Humerlito Dolor for assistance.

Guarte's death has affected the Philippine Obstacle Sports Federation and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, where he was a national athlete, and the Philippine Air Force also assured his family of full support and cooperation with authorities in the ongoing investigation.