The daughter of an Australian couple allegedly murdered at a hotel in the Philippines says she is “living a nightmare” in the wake of their tragic deaths.
David James Fisk, 57, and his wife Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55, were discovered alongside Cortez’s daughter-in-law Mary Jane Cortez, 30, from Oriental Mindoro, amid a manhunt for their killer.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Couple found dead in Philippines hotel room identified.
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Their bodies were found with their hands and feet tied in a room at the Lake Hotel in Tagaytay, a popular resort city south of the nation’s capital.
Electrical cord, shoelaces, and packing tape were used to bound the bodies, according to police.
Staff found the pair when they knocked on the door, reportedly about 1.35pm local time, to alert the couple it was time to check out.
James’s daughter Lacinda Fisk has since issued a heartbreaking statement following the shock news.
“The love we have for our Father and Lucita is so dear and this situation is like living a nightmare,” she said in a statement.
“We pray for answers and the truth in this horrific matter, and just pray for their safe return to Australian shores.
“David’s daughters, local known and loved residents in the Sutherland Shire, ask on behalf of their family that the media respect our privacy in this incredibly difficult and tragic time and we will be making no further comment.”
Lacinda has organised a Go Fund Me page in the hopes of gathering donations for their family to bring the couple’s bodies back to Australia.
Meanwhile, police 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.
Investigators were interviewing witnesses and examining security cameras at the hotel.
Tagaytay police chief Charles Daven Capagcuan told the Associated Press the motive for the killings was not known.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs did not reveal their identities but confirmed it was providing consular assistance to the families of two Australians who died in the Philippines.
“We send our condolences to the families at this difficult time,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Tagaytay mayor Abraham Tolentino said he was shocked by the incident and apologised to the families of the victims.
“We’re very sorry to our Australian friends,” he said.
“We will resolve this as soon as possible.”
The remains of the Australian man would be flown back to Sydney and the two women would be buried in the Philippines, Tolentino said.
— With AP