Daughters of slain Aussie tourists break silence
The daughters of the Australian man who was killed in The Philippines alongside his partner have broken their silence after their family's "cruel" deaths.
On Wednesday last week, the bodies of David James Fisk, 57, his wife Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55, and Ms Cortez’s daughter-in-law Mary Jane Cortez, 30, were found dead inside their Lake Hotel room in Tagaytay, south of Manila.
Authorities have since confirmed that a man has handed himself in to police in connection to the alleged murders.
It is understood the man accused of killing the trio was a former employee of the hotel who wanted to “get back at the hotel management” for his dismissal.
Mr Fisk’s daughters, Lucinda and Brittany Fisk, said they have been afraid and confused ever since learning their father had been killed.
“We have been living and continuing to live a nightmare until any of this makes sense,” Lucinda told 9News.
“For someone to take our father away from us so cruelly... it just doesn’t make sense."
“We won’t stop fighting until we find out why, and we won’t stop fighting until we have justice for our father and Lucita.”
Brittany said she hoped nobody else will ever have to go through the nightmare her family are enduring.
“I’m angry, I’m really angry, and I’m scared... I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” she said.
A hotel worker found the victims’ bodies with their hands and feet bound and packaging tape covering their mouths on Wednesday last week, according to a police statement.
Police located the main suspect in the killings using CCTV footage from the hotel, and when they arrived at his house for questioning, the man surrendered himself to police.
Capagcuan and Tagatay City Mayor Abraham Tolentino said the deaths had been a “wake-up call” after decades without similar incidents.
“Tagaytay City is a tourist-driven local economy,” he said. “We are a safe place, we are a peaceful place, and for the last 30 years there’s no crime like this in the area.”
After hearing the news of the couple's sudden and tragic passing, Mr Fisk’s family released a statement sharing their grief and pleading for answers.
“The love we have for our Father and Lucita is so dear and this situation is like living a nightmare,” the statement read.
“We pray for answers and the truth in this horrific matter and just pray for their safe return to Australian shores.”
Image credits: GoFundMe / 9News