Aussies found dead in Philippines identified
An Australian couple who were allegedly murdered alongside another relative in a luxury hotel in the Philippines have been identified.
An Australian couple who were allegedly murdered in a luxury hotel alongside another relative have been identified.
Australian David James Fisk, 57, his wife Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55, a Philippine-born Australian citizen, were found with their hands and feet tied in their hotel room at The Lake Hotel at Tagaytay in Cavite province on Wednesday.
They were discovered alongside Ms Cortez’s daughter-in-law Mary Jane Cortez, 30, from Oriental Mindoro.
Police confirmed the victims’ identities on Thursday as they launched a manhunt for the killer.
They are looking for a man who was wearing a black hoodie, maroon shorts, sneakers and a rucksack who was captured on CCTV leaving the couple’s room.
The bodies were discovered when staff went to knock on the door to alert the guests that they needed to check out.
The male staff member found the victims face down with their their hands and feet tied by electrical cord, shoeless while their mouths were sealed shut with tape.
The local mayor has apologised to Australia and has promised the incident will be resolved “as soon as possible”.
“We were shocked by this incident,” he told local media.
“We’re very sorry to our Australian friends.”
It is understood police are treating the deaths as murder.
Investigations are ongoing.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) confirmed they were providing consular assistance to the families of the two Australians killed.
“We send our condolences to the families at this difficult time,” a DFAT spokeswoman said.
“Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.”
It is understood the Australian couple were due to fly back to Australia on the day they were killed, but decided to extend their trip at the last minute.
The luxurious hotel the couple were found at boasts a panoramic views of the world-famous Taal Lake and volcano.
Founded in 2008, Lake Hotel Tagaytay is a 90 minute drive from Manila.
- With NCA newswire
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