THE suspect in the killing of three individuals, including an Australian national, in a hotel in Tagaytay City has surrendered, the police said Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
In a radio interview, Tagaytay City police chief Lieutenant Colonel Charles Daven Capagcuan said the 31-year-old suspect, who is a former employee of the hotel, voluntarily turned himself in to a barangay captain and mayor of Tuy, Batangas.
He was later turned over to the Tagaytay police.
Capagcuan said the suspect matched the person they were tracking due to his involvement in the killing.
“Dati siyang nagtatrabaho doon. So initially sa kanyang written admission na inexecute niya sa harap ng mga independent lawyers ay yun ay kanyang sinagawa bilang pagganti doon sa pagkakatanggal sa kanya ng hotel,” he said.
(He used to work in the hotel. So initially in his written admission that he executed in front of the independent lawyers, he did it in retaliation for his dismissal from the hotel.)
“Ayon sa kanya siya lang mag-isa (ang gumawa ng krimen). Ginamitan niya ng patalim bilang panakot at yun ang naging daan niya upang maisagawa niyang matagumpay para sa kanya ‘yung kanyang isinagawang krimen,” he added.
(According to him, he alone committed the crime. He used a knife as a threat and that was his way so that he could successfully carry out his crime for him.)
On July 10, David James Fisk, 57, his wife Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55, and Mary Jane Cortez, 30, from Oriental Mindoro, were found lifeless inside a room at The Lake Hotel in Barangay Maharlika West.
They were found by a hotel staff who went to their room to remind them of the check-out time, with their hands tied, mouth taped and face down.
Capagcuan said they consider the case closed on the part of the police.
Charges of murder will be filed against the suspect. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)