Possible motive for Philippines execution of Queensland man

POLICE are investigating whether the murder of a Queensland man in the Philippines is linked to a recent dispute he had with a local.

Mike Hodgens with a photo of his brother Reginald Hodgens. Picture: Zak Simmonds

A QUEENSLAND man has been murdered in the Philippines, with police investigating whether his death is linked to a court matter he filed against a Philippines man recently.

Reginald Rene Hodgens, 70, was reportedly shot in the head at the gate of a rental unit earlier this week in Cabugao, near Vigan, on the Philippines island of Luzon, north of Manila.

Aussie shot dead

Philippines police Senior Inspector Edmund Artates said detectives were investigating the motive.

“Perhaps, the motive, with revenge, is based on the documents we have detected. There is a case in Cabugao,” Senior Inspector Artates said.

No further details about the legal dispute were given.

An old family photo of Reginald Hodgens

Local media reported Reginald left his home in Sinait after filing the court documents against the man.

After leaving Sinait he began renting in Cabugao.

Reginald’s brother Mike was informed of the killing this week by Australia’s Foreign Affairs Department.

Mike says his brother was drinking a beer and relaxing when he was executed at point-blank range.

Mike remembered his brother as a technically gifted man who left his life as a Townsville carpenter to pursue his dreams of surfing all over the world.

“He’d been all over the world surfing — that’s what he does. He was technically gifted — doing things like building and he was keen on surfing,” Mike said.

“He was an outdoorsman, but well-educated and a good tradesman. He never got married. He was too busy surfing.”

Mike expressed disappointment at the lack of information he has received from Philippines authorities, and lambasted the country for not providing a safe environment for Australians.

“I’m really pissed, upset and bloody angry — all of those things in one,” Mike said.

“We need all the help we can get.”

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Affair Department would not comment on the matter, other than to say: “The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance, in accordance with the Consular Services Charter, to the family of an Australian man who died in the Philippines. Owing to our privacy obligations we will not provide further comment.”