Manila: The live-in partner of slain American marine biologist Dr. Kent Carpenter has applied for inclusion in the government's witness protection program following his fatal shooting in Sibulan, Negros Oriental last month, a police official said Tuesday. Capt. Stephen Jaynard Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO), said the 37-year-old woman's application has been endorsed to higher authorities for evaluation and approval.

According to Philippines News Agency, Capt. Polinar assured that the woman's safety and security would be prioritized pending the case filed against the suspects in the killing of Dr. Carpenter. The woman, through the NOrPPO Women and Children's Protection Desk, recently filed a rape complaint against one of the three intruders who allegedly entered Carpenter's residence in Barangay Ajong, Sibulan, on July 12.

Polinar identified the respondent as one of the two suspects arrested shortly after Carpenter, 73, was shot dead, with the other arrested suspect being the alleged gunman. Polinar declined to provide further details on the rape complaint, citing laws that prohibit the disclosure of information involving such cases due to their sensitive nature.

Initially, the woman was 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 reports indicated that medical examinations showed no apparent signs of rape or physical injuries. However, police officials clarified that the findings were inconclusive and that investigators considered other factors in pursuing the complaint.

Prosecutors have filed a robbery with homicide case in court against six suspects. Two are under arrest, while three others are not in police custody after the reglementary detention period lapsed, and one was at large at the time of the case filing, Polinar stated.