AN AUSTRALIAN couple and a Filipina were found lifeless in a hotel room in Tagaytay City.
In a report, the police said David James Fisk, 57, and Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55, both Australian nationals, as well as Mary Jane Cortez, 30, from Oriental Mindoro, were found dead inside a room of a hotel in Barangay Maharlika West around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, 2024.
Mary is Lucita’s daughter-in-law.
They were found by a hotel staff who went to their room to remind them of the check-out time. The victims were found with their hands tied, mouth taped and faces down.
Closed circuit television (CCTV) footage showed a man clad in a black hoodie, maroon shorts, and sneakers, with a backpack leaving the room of the victims and heading toward the exit of the hotel.
A hotel security guard said he had a short conversation with the man, who claimed to be a companion of the victims.
Tagaytay police have activated the station’s tracker team and directed all police community precincts to conduct dragnet operations at all possible exit points within Tagaytay and nearby provinces to apprehend and identify the man.
In-depth investigation is ongoing, as the police are gathering additional information to also determine the motive behind the crime. They are also communicating closely with the family of the victims.
The police urged the public to assist in locating the man to ensure that he will be held accountable for the crime. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)