The remains of two Australian nationals and a Filipino were found inside a hotel room in Tagaytay City on Thursday, July 11.
According to staff, the bodies were discovered face down, with their hands and feet tied up with an electric cord, shoelaces, and packaging tape covering their mouths. Local police were immediately informed following the grave discovery.
Cavite Provincial Director Police, Colonel Eleuterio Ricardo Jr. identified the victims to be David James Fisk, 57, an Australian national; his wife Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55, who has acquired Australian citizenship; and her Filipino daughter-in-law Mary Jane Cortez, 30.
Staff from the hotel said that she received a call from a guy named Rico Cortez, claiming to be one of the victim's husband. According to her, he asked if there was someone check in the hotel named David and Cortez. She confirmed their location, but did not provide other details.
PNP Cavite immediately conducted a dragnet operation, locating all possible exit points in Tagaytay to pin the suspect's whereabouts.
In the CCTV footage, an unknown man with average height, wearing shorts and a hoodie jacket, was seen heading out of the victim's hotel room, before exiting.
The hotel security guard confessed that he saw the same man walk out of the hotel gate asked him where he was going. He stated that the man claimed that he was checked in with the victims and saw that he was even holding the room's key card.
Investigation is ongoing to locate and identify the suspect.
The Cavite police said that an autopsy would be conducted to determine the cause of the three victims' death.
