Murdered Australian businessman, Filipina wife and daughter-in-law found tied up in luxury hotel

An Australian businessman was found dead alongside his wife and daughter-in-law - tied up in a luxury lakeside hotel in the Philippines.

David James Fisk, 57, owner of an Australian accounting software company, and his Philippine-born wife Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55, arrived in the country to visit her family on vacation on July 8.

Lucita's daughter-in-law, Mary Jane Cortez, 30, from a previous marriage, collected them at the airport and took them around Tagaytay City, a popular tourist destination 37 miles south of the capital Manila known for its cool weather and views of the scenic Taal Volcano.

They checked in at the upmarket Lake Hotel Tagaytay overlooking the Taal Lake. However, when hotel staff knocked on their room on July 10 to remind them to check out, the family were found lifeless inside.

The room was in disarray, with David reportedly found on the floor with a large slit on his throat, while the two women were lying face-down and are believed to have been smothered to death.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Charles Daven Capagcuan, chief of the Tagaytay City Police, said: 'It was found there was a wound on the neck of the Australian male victim, while the others were bound and their faces wrapped in packaging tape.

'Based on the CCTV footage, only one person was seen leaving the hotel room.'

CCTV footage from the hotel showed a hoodie-wearing individual walking through the corridor after leaving the family's hotel room.

Police said they were still investigating the possible motive for the alleged murder, as the family's valuables appeared to be intact.

They are trying to trace the person seen on CCTV going into their room before they were found dead.

Lucita's son and Mary Jane's husband, who declined to be named as the suspect was still at large, said the Australian couple were due to return to Australia on July 10, but decided to extend their stay at the last minute.

He said through tears: 'I last spoke to my wife on Monday evening. She told me she had to sleep early because they had a busy morning ahead of them. After that, I couldn't contact her anymore.'

He said he called the Tagaytay Police Station on Wednesday, July 10, to verify if the family were still checked in at the hotel before receiving a call from the Tagaytay police chief later that afternoon informing him of the tragic news.

Tagaytay Mayor Bambol Tolentino said security in Tagaytay City has been heightened following the incident.

He said: 'I'm requesting the provincial and regional police to step in and create a task force for this, to speed up the investigation.'

The victims' bodies will undergo post-mortem examinations.

The bodies of Lucita and Mary Jane will be taken to their family in Mindoro province, while David's remains will be flown back to Australia.

The local government said it will cover funeral costs for the two women, and was coordinating with the Australian Embassy for the repatriation of David's body.

Meanwhile, David's grieving family said in a statement released on Friday: 'The love we have for our Father and Lucita is so dear and this situation is like living a nightmare.

'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.'