Updated at Wednesday at 6:54 a.m. AT
A Fredericton man has been murdered in a beach resort city in the southernmost region of the Philippines.
Police in Surigao City, on the island of Mindanao, confirm Harry Joseph Doyle died from multiple gunshot wounds after an attack Sunday afternoon.
Global News contacted Martin Gamba, the police spokesperson for the Caraga region, who confirmed Doyle was murdered at about 4:00 p.m.
According to Gamba, Doyle was at the Palma Beach Resort in the Barangay (district) Punta Bilar, in Surigao City, when he was approached by two men. An official police report says the 62-year-old was sitting at a cottage when the pair asked him for food.
Read the full police press release below
Doyle suffered five gunshot wounds and died instantly.
Gamba could not confirm who Doyle was with when he was killed, but some reports suggest he was with his wife and son.
He said suspects have not been identified and the investigation is ongoing.
Doyle’s body was taken to Nilo Funeral Home where an autopsy is to be conducted.
When Global News spoke with an employee of the funeral home, she said the autopsy may not be conducted until Friday, as “the doctor is not available.”
Doyle, a businessman, had lived in the Philippines for a number of years, but also had residence at 849 Union St., on Fredericton’s northside.
On his Facebook profile he is listed as a 1977 graduate of the Masters of Business Administration program at the University of New Brunswick and a 1972 graduate of St. Thomas University.
He was listed as being married and according to his Facebook account he built and ran a guest house with his wife, Jane Doyle. The guest house is called Jane’s Lodge, after his wife.
Doyle’s profile photo and an album on his Facebook page show he had avoided being shot earlier this year. Photographs dated February 3, 2012 show a bullet hole in the window of what appears to be his bedroom. In one picture, Doyle is seen reading a book with the bullet hole right beside his head. He commented on his album, saying he has “never been fearful of death.” But he also commented the murder attempt made him want to “pack up.”
Surigao City is located on the northeastern tip of Mindanao Island. Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs warns against travel to a number of areas of Mindanao: Surigao is not included in the list of areas Canadians are encouraged to avoid.
“One of our priorities is to protect foreigners, especially tourists,” Gamba said, “because we want to promote Surigao City and the rest of Caraga (region) as a tourist-friendly place.”
Philippine National Police – Shooting of Harry Doyle
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