EXCLUSIVE
The family of an Australian man murdered in the Philippines along with his wife and a female relative lost their mother to cancer just 18 months ago, according to witnesses who saw a man lurking near the crime scene.
David James Fisk, 57, his wife Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55, an Australian citizen born in the Philippines, and their Filipino daughter-in-law Mary Jane Cortez, 30, were found dead at The Lake Hotel, in Tagaytay in Cavite province, southwest of the Philippine capital Manila.
Hotel staff made the discovery Wednesday when they failed to check out of their room, and the victims were reportedly lying face down, with their hands and legs bound with electrical cords and shoelaces, and their mouths covered with packing tape.
Local media reported that Fisk’s throat had been slit in the horrific attack.
Police say they have not yet determined a motive and are searching for a man who was seen on security cameras leaving the room with a bag on Wednesday morning.
According to local media reports, a security guard, Rodney Parahinog, came across the man at 6am on Wednesday at the entrance gate of the complex and asked him where he was going.
Pictured: Australian citizen David James Fisk, 57, and his Philippine-born Australian wife Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55.
Mr Parahinog said the man said he had entered the room and had a key card to Mr Fisk’s room.
As the victims’ families grapple with the tragedy, Daily Mail Australia can reveal the deaths come just 18 months after the Fisk family lost their mother, Jan, in February 2023.
Mr. Fisk’s adult twin daughters, Lacinda and Brittany, also recently lost their maternal grandmother, Joan Elshaw, in May.
Both women had battled cancer, and Mr. Fisk and his daughters supported charities dedicated to supporting those suffering from the disease.
‘You suffered so much in silence, your spirit was unbroken, you fought for life with courage, until the end,’ reads the obituary of the beloved grandmother.
‘You left us memories that make us laugh and cry, but the love you planted in our hearts will never die.’
In May, Mr Fisk took part in a 63km walk to support young people affected by cancer for Canteen Australia.
Last month, Lacinda, who is the philanthropy unit coordinator at Cancer Council NSW, announced she would be taking part in Dry July in honour of her nana.
Mr Fisk and his daughters Brittany (left) and Lacinda (right) are supporters of Cancer Council NSW.
Pictured: Jan and Barry Fisk. Jan died in February last year, while her husband passed away in 2019.
“Please remember: every donation, big or small, makes a difference to people affected by cancer,” she wrote on social media.
The back-to-back tragedies occur just weeks before Lacinda is set to marry her fiancé in August.
On Friday morning, Mr. Fisk’s family released a statement sharing their grief while calling for answers about the horrific deaths.
“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 about this horrific matter and we simply pray for his safe return to Australian shores.
‘David’s daughters, well-known and much-loved local residents in the Sutherland Shire, ask on behalf of his family that the media respect our privacy at this incredibly difficult and tragic time and we will not be making any further comment.’
The family has created a GoFundMe to help “gain support in obtaining justice for all loved ones involved” and will be used to “help alleviate the financial stress and burden that will arise from this incredibly difficult time.”
Meanwhile, tributes have poured in online as devastated loved ones remember the “kind” couple.
The three murder victims are pictured left and center with another family member (right) during Fisk’s visit to the Philippines with his partner Lucita Barquin Cortez.
A relative shared a photo of the couple on vacation in the Philippines while calling for justice.
“May all three of them rest in peace,” he said. “I hope justice is done. They didn’t deserve what happened to them, they were too kind, why did this happen to them?”
“I hope they catch the person who did this to you.”
A long-time neighbour of Mr Fisk and Ms Barquin Cortez told the Daily Mail Australia on Friday that the couple were “very, very nice”.
He said he last saw them about two weeks ago, when they were heading to the airport for their holiday abroad.
“They were very happy to go to the Philippines,” she said. “I’m very surprised. It’s very sad.”
“I can’t believe they’re no longer alive”
Mrs. Cortex and her daughter-in-law Mary Jane, the third victim
Police are interviewing witnesses and are looking to speak to a man seen on CCTV wearing a mask, a black hoodie and maroon shorts.
A statement from the Tagaytay Cavite Provincial Police Office said the station’s tracking team had been activated and searches were being conducted at “all possible exit points within Tagaytay and nearby provinces to apprehend and identify the suspect.”
Local mayor Abraham Tolentino apologized to Australia and promised the incident would be resolved “as soon as possible.”
“We are very shocked by this incident,” he told local media. “We feel very sorry for our Australian friends.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) confirmed it was providing consular assistance to the families of the two murdered Australians.
“We send our condolences to the families at this difficult time,” a DFAT spokeswoman said.
‘Due to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.’
The Australian couple were reportedly due to return to Australia on the day they were killed, but decided to extend their trip at the last minute.
Mr Fisk’s body will be repatriated to Sydney, while both women will be buried in the Philippines with the government paying for their funeral and burial.
The luxury hotel where the couple was found boasts panoramic views of the world-famous Taal Lake and the volcano.
Opened in 2008, the four-star Lake Hotel Tagaytay, priced at $356 per night, is a 90-minute drive from Manila.
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