Philippine officials say suspect in the killings of 2 Australians and a Filipina has surrendered

A suspect in the killing of two Australian nationals and a Filipino is escorted by police following his surrender in Tagaytay city, Cavite province Philippines on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

TAGAYTAY, Philippines (AP) — The suspect in the killings of two Australians and their Filipina companion at a hotel in a popular resort city south of Manila surrendered and claimed he wanted to retaliate against the hotel for firing him, Philippine officials said Wednesday.

The suspect further said that he randomly barged into the victims' room last week because its window was open, authorities added.

The victims, whose hands and feet were tied, were found sprawled on the floor in a street-level room at the Lake Hotel in Tagaytay city on July 10 in a heinous crime that shattered the tranquility the tourism destination known for a picturesque volcano nestled in a lake, Tagaytay Mayor Abraham Tolentino said.

In a pre-dawn news conference at the city hall, Tolentino and police officials presented the handcuffed suspect, who was wearing a hoodie, dark eyeglasses and a face mask. The man, whose identity was not released, will face criminal complaints for the killings and robbery, Tagaytay police chief Charles Daven Capagcuan said.

The mayor repeated an apology to the victims' families and to Australia for what he called the senseless killings.

"We are pleased to present to you the main suspect in this brutal crime and as promised that within a week, we will resolve and give justice," Tolentino said, without identifying the victims as requested by their families.

In a Southeast Asian country where many criminal suspects have managed to evade arrest for months or years before getting captured, Tolentino commended the police for rapidly identifying and locating the suspect, who was then apparently pressured to give up.

Capagcuan told The Associated Press ahead of the news conference that the breakthrough in the case came when the suspect was identified by at least three hotel employees based on his image, which was captured by security cameras showing a part of his face when his mask slid down.

The identification and information from witnesses eventually led authorities to the suspect's Batangas home province near Tagaytay, where he decided to surrender on Tuesday, the police chief said.

"He wanted to get back at the hotel management for his dismissal," Capagcuan told reporters, adding that the suspect used to work as a swimming pool cleaner but was fired by the hotel in March after he was linked to a robbery in one of the rooms.

Police officials planned to file criminal complaints of robbery in addition to the killings against the suspect.

The man acknowledged taking the watch and shoes of the Australian male victim after attacking him with a knife and suffocating his partner, a Filipino woman who had acquired Australian citizenship, and her Filipina daughter-in-law, Capagcuan said.

"He barged randomly with a knife into the room because its window was open," Capagcuan said.

The Australian woman and her daughter-in-law are to be buried in their family's home province in the Philippines while the remains of the Australian man would be flown Tuesday to Sydney, Tolentino said.

The Australian couple had planned to fly back to Australia on July 10, the day they were killed, but decided to briefly take a vacation in Tagaytay, the Filipino son of the slain Australian-Filipino woman told AP. He spoke on condition of anonymity last week because he was fearful after what happened to his mother and his wife and given the suspect remained at large at that time.

During the news conference, the son, who still concealed his identity with a white facial mask and a sport cap, thanked the police and the mayor for quickly locating the suspect. He asked the suspect, who was standing near him, what made him commit the gruesome crime but the man did not respond.

Tagaytay, about 60 kilometres (37 miles) south of Manila, is popular among local and foreign tourists who flock there for its cool weather and to view one of the world's smallest active volcanos in a lake from elevated ridges teeming with restaurants, viewing decks and hotels, including the one where last week's killings took place.

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Associated Press journalists Aaron Favila and Joeal Calupitan contributed to this report.