The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office has activated a special investigation task group to lead the manhunt for the killing of an American national and his Filipina wife inside their home in Purok Katubhan, Barangay Bajumpandan, Dumaguete City, in the early hours of Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
Police have classified the case as robbery with homicide. The victims — a 72-year-old man and his 71-year-old wife — were residents of the barangay. Their names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Task Group Formed Under Direct Command of Acting Provincial Director
NOrPPO Acting Provincial Director PCol. Jonathan B. Abella personally ordered the activation of the task group and placed it under his direct leadership, according to the police office's official release. The task group draws personnel from the Provincial Intelligence Unit, the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Unit, the crime laboratory, scene-of-the-crime operatives, and the Dumaguete City Police Station.
Abella condemned what he described as a senseless and heinous act of violence. He said the task group's formation ensures that all operational, tactical, and forensic resources of NOrPPO are committed to resolving the case as quickly as possible.
"We will leave no stone unturned until the perpetrator is brought to justice," Abella was quoted as saying in the task group's official release.
Caretaker Woke to Armed Intruder at 4 a.m.
According to the police report, a call to the 911 hotline was received at around 6:08 a.m. on September 2, reporting a shooting at the residence. First responders were immediately dispatched to secure the scene, followed by the duty investigator-on-case, the duty officer of the day, and the Dumaguete City chief of police.
Officers found both victims inside the residence with fatal gunshot wounds upon arrival.
Preliminary investigation, based on the testimony of the victims' caretaker, showed that she was awakened at around 4 a.m. after seeing an unidentified male armed with a handgun inside the house. The gap between the estimated time of the incident and the 911 call suggests the caretaker may have contacted authorities some time after the initial encounter.
An earlier preliminary account relayed by NOrPPO spokesperson Capt. Stephen Jaynard Polinar cited two assailants. However, the task group's official release refers to a single suspect. Investigators have not publicly reconciled the discrepancy, and the matter remains part of the ongoing investigation.
Jewelry, Cash, Passports, and Electronics Reported Taken
An initial inventory drawn from the caretaker and the victims' family indicates several personal belongings were taken from the residence. Items reported missing include assorted jewelry, wristwatches, cash, a wallet containing identification and banking cards, a laptop, passports, and an Apple Watch. Additional cash and valuables were also reported missing, with the total value still subject to verification, according to police.
Investigators recovered two fired cartridge cases, a slug, a live round, and a deformed slug from the scene. All items were secured for autopsy, cross-matching, and ballistic examination.
Investigators are pursuing forensic evidence and available CCTV footage in the area to establish the full circumstances of the incident and identify the person or persons responsible.
Second Fatal Home Invasion Targeting Foreign National in Under Two Months
The killings come less than two months after American marine biologist Kent Carpenter, 73, was shot dead on the night of July 12, 2026, when three masked men broke into his home in Sibulan, Negros Oriental. According to police, the men shot Carpenter in the head and fled with a laptop, cash, and a backpack. Authorities treated that case as robbery with homicide.
Suspects in the Carpenter killing were arrested within a week of the incident. Five individuals were subsequently charged with robbery and homicide in connection with that case.
The September 2 killings in Barangay Bajumpandan mark the second fatal home invasion targeting a foreign national in Negros Oriental within the same period, drawing renewed scrutiny to residential security in the province.
By the Numbers
- 72 — age of the male victim, an American national
- 71 — age of the female victim, a Filipina
- 6:08 a.m. — time the 911 call reporting the shooting was received
- 4 a.m. — approximate time the caretaker was awakened by the armed intruder
- 2 — fired cartridge cases recovered from the scene
- 73 — age of Kent Carpenter, a foreign national killed in a similar home invasion in Sibulan on July 12, 2026
- 5 — individuals charged in connection with the Carpenter killing
Why This Matters
The killing of a foreign national and his Filipina wife in their Dumaguete home is the second fatal armed robbery targeting a foreign resident in Negros Oriental in under two months, following the July 12 killing of American marine biologist Kent Carpenter in Sibulan. The activation of a dedicated task group under NOrPPO's acting provincial director signals the gravity with which authorities are treating the case. The speed with which suspects were identified and charged in the Carpenter case will likely serve as a benchmark for public and institutional expectations as this investigation unfolds.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of NOrPPO