PH sports community mourns death of SEA Games gold medalist Mervin Guarte

Metro Manila, Philippines — The local sports community mourned the loss of Mervin Guarte, a Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and an Airman First Class of the Philippine Air Force.

Guarte, who bagged multiple medals for the country in the SEA Games with the obstacle course racing and athletics teams, was reportedly stabbed to death while asleep by a still unidentified suspect on Tuesday in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro. He was 32.

Guarte took home SEA Games silver medals in the men’s 800 and 1500-meter track events in 2011, 2013, and 2015 before shifting to obstacle course racing, where he nabbed gold in the men’s 5km category and men’s team event in 2019 and 2023.

Guarte was also part of the national record holder in the men's 4x800m team relay.

Several local athletes paid tribute to Guarte on social media including pole vaulter EJ Obiena and his former teammate Elias Tabac.

“I just learned the devastating news of the shocking death of my friend and National teammate,” Obiena wrote on his Instagram post.

“Pinakamasakit na araw. Isa kang alamat sa puso ko,” Tabac said.

Meanwhile, Olympian marathon runner Mary Joy Tabal remembered Guarte as “a friend with an honest heart.”

“He was full of potential, a hardworking athlete who transitioned from a champion middle-distance runner to a champion OCR athlete,” said Tabal, a 2017 SEA Games gold medalist.