Philippines hotel killings: suspect surrenders in grisly murders of Australians, Filipino

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 tranquillity of the tourism destination known for a picturesque volcano nestled in a lake, Tagaytay Mayor Abraham Tolentino said.

In a predawn 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.

“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 being captured, Tolentino commended the police for rapidly identifying and locating the suspect, who was then apparently pressured to give himself up.

Capagcuan said 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