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Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Bungled robbery likely cause of murders in Boracay (2:22 p.m.)
BORACAY -- The murder of three foreigners and a local maid on the resort island of Boracay was probably triggered by a robbery that went horribly wrong, police said Wednesday.
The victims were found brutally stabbed to death early Sunday at a luxury villa on the island, a popular tourist destination nestling in the azure waters of the Sulu sea some 300 kilometers (180 miles) south of Manila.
The foreign victims were identified as Swiss-born art gallery owner Manfred Schoeni, German property developer and villa owner Anton Faustenhauser, and Hong Kong-based British architect John Cowperthwaite.
Police interviewed 25 construction workers building an adjacent property and sources close to the investigation told AFP inquiries were focused on two suspects, one of whom is the dead maid's boyfriend.
National police spokesman Senior Superintendent Joel Goltiao said that so far the findings of investigators pointed to robbery as the motive.
"They forced open the cabinets, all the possible locations of the valuables," Goltiao said.
A friend of Faustenhauser, who did not want to be identified, said police were working on the theory the deaths were the result of a robbery that went wrong as two victims were stabbed in their beds and two on a second floor landing.
Police were still trying to establish whether anything was taken from the three-storey villa, named Dolce Vita, which sits on a hilltop commanding panoramic views of the island famous for its white sandy beaches.
President Arroyo has expressed concern over the crime but tried to reassure tourists the Philippines was still a safe destination.
"We are confident that this isolated incident will not affect the tourism trade in Boracay as security and law enforcement measures are bolstered and the culprits will be brought to justice," said her spokesman Ignacio Bunye.
The murders have shocked Boracay and the expatriate community in Hong Kong.
Schoeni was a leading dealer in Chinese contemporary art with two galleries in Hong Kong's fashionable SoHo district. The British architect was the son of Sir John Cowperthwaite, Hong Kong's financial secretary between 1961 and 1971.
A hotel owner, who asked not to be named, said the mood in Boracay was somber. "Bars and discos were quiet ... very quiet," he said.
"As yet we have had no cancellations and it should be noted that this is being treated as a local crime. It is not tourist-related as Faustenhauser has lived in Boracay for nearly five years."
It is understood the German did not have security at the house, unlike most foreigners who co-own property in Boracay.
A friend of Faustenhauser, who did not want to be identified, said the 69-year-old developer had finished building his house about 14 months ago and was subdividing his one-hectare (2.47-acre) lot into building blocks. Schoeni was building a villa next door.
Boracay had been considered relatively safe for tourists as it was some distance from the Muslim and communist rebellions further south.
Superintendent Goltiao said extra police, military and coast guard units had been deployed to Boracay to reassure tourists and residents.
The island was just recovering from a downturn caused by the region-wide terrorism alerts issued after the 2002 nightclub bombing on the Indonesian island of Bali. (AFP) |
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