PH embassy in Canberra condemns murder of Australian couple in Tagaytay

The Philippine Embassy in Canberra condemned the brutal murder of an Australian couple and a kin in Tagaytay City on July 10.

The embassy and the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney also extended their deepest condolences to the families of the victims.

“The Philippine government condemns in the strongest terms the cowardly and senseless act that took the couple from their loved ones,” the statement read.

“We stand in solidarity with the Australian government in our joint efforts to bring the perpetrator to justice.”

The victims' hands and feet were bound with electrical wires and shoelaces when they were discovered inside their hotel room. Their mouths were also covered with tape.

The police said the autopsy report revealed the Filipino-Australian wife and daughter-in-law died of asphyxia, while the Australian man had a neck wound.

The man caught on CCTV coming in and out of the victims’ room is now considered a person of interest by the authorities.

The police are also looking at the possibility that there could be two suspects in the murder.

“Subalit sa ngayon, naka-focus tayo sa isa na person of interest natin, para sa ganun, siya din yung makakapagbigay ng kalinawagan sa pangyayaring ito,” said Tagaytay City Police chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Charles Capagcuan in Darlene Cay’s report in “24 Oras Weekend.''

(But for now, we are focusing on the person of interest that we have now, so he could shed light on what really happened.) 

A special police task force has been formed to investigate the crime, the report added. 

Police visibility has also been intensified in Tagaytay to ensure the safety of tourists.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that it has provided consular assistance to the families of the Australian couple. 

In another report in Super Radyo dzBB, Capagcuan said the bodies of the two Filipino victims were brought to Baco, Oriental Mindoro, on Friday evening.

The report also said that Philippine authorities are already coordinating with the Australian Embassy with regards to the remains of the Australian man. —VBL, GMA Integrated News