2 Australians and a Filipina killed in Philippine hotel, officials say

Officials say two Australian nationals and their Filipina companion were killed in a hotel in a popular resort city south of the Philippine capital, and police were trying to identify and track down the suspects

Philippines Australians KIlled (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Two Australian nationals and their Filipina companion were killed in a hotel in a popular resort city south of the Philippine capital, and police were trying to identify and track down the suspects, officials said Thursday.

A hotel worker found the bodies of the victims, whose hands and feet were tied, in a room at the Lake Hotel in Tagaytay city, south of Manila on Wednesday, according to a police statement.

Police did not identify the victims or provide other details of what it said was a “murder incident.”

“We were shocked by this incident,” Tagaytay Mayor Abraham Tolentino said, apologizing to the families of the victims. “We’re very sorry to our Australian friends. We will resolve this as soon as possible.”

The victims were believed to be a man in his 50s from Australia, his Philippine-born partner and her Filipina relative.

Investigators were interviewing witnesses and examining security cameras at the hotel which could help identify the suspect or suspects, Tolentino said without elaborating.