The brutal and senseless killing of American marine scientist Dr. Kent Carpenter must not go unpunished. As we pray and mourn with the family, loved ones, and friends of Dr. Carpenter, we call for a swift and thorough investigation into his tragic death.
Dr. Carpenter’s death is a huge loss to the scientific community. His decades of work in the Philippines have contributed significantly to the protection of our country’s marine ecosystems, including his research that led to the recognition of the Verde Island Passage (VIP) as the "center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity”. This breakthrough study has been vital to conservation and rehabilitation efforts in the VIP which is not only home to thousands of fish and coral species but also a source of food and livelihood for millions of our countrymen.
It is in this regard that we filed House Bill No. 8882 to strengthen the protection and sustainable management of the VIP by declaring it a Protected Seascape under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS).
We are likewise grateful for Dr. Carpenter’s support for our cause of protecting what is ours, particularly when he served as a witness in the Philippines’ arbitral case against China over the West Philippine Sea, which resulted in a historic victory at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
Nakababahala rin ang patuloy na naitatalang mga karumal-dumal na pamamaslang sa Negros at sa iba pang panig ng bansa. This must stop. Justice must be served for Dr. Carpenter and all victims of killings, and all those behind this heinous crime be held accountable.
‘HINDI KAMI BAYARAN’
Broadcast journalist Kara David made a brief yet striking response to Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who called the media paid hacks on Thursday.
“Hindi kami bayaran,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
Marcoleta made the "bayaran" statement during the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that he and Senator Alan Cayetano led, with 18 former Marines testifying that they allegedly served as bagmen and delivered luggage of cash in kickbacks from flood control projects to several lawmakers.
“Pasensya na po kung ako’y nakapagsalita nang gano’n. I did not mean it. Ito po ay dahil sa frustration ko sa nangyari at nangyayari,” said Marcoleta in a press conference after the hearing.
WATCH: https://t.co/BieFoP6sAc