In-laws of PH Vancouver consulate chief killed in QC

MANILA, Philippines — Police are investigating the killing of an elderly couple, who were found to be in-laws of the head of the Philippine consulate in Vancouver, inside their house in Quezon City on Sunday.

Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office, confirmed on Tuesday that Nicolas Austria and Leonora Austria, both 80 years old, were in-laws of Consul General Maria Andrelita Austria.

The Quezon City Police District said the Austria couple bore multiple stab wounds in different parts of their bodies when they were found inside their house at 8 Diego Silang St., TS Cruz Subdivision, Barangay San Agustin, Novaliches, around 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Nicolas, a retired engineer, was found dead near the master bedroom, while Leonora was found inside the bathroom.

Investigation revealed that the couple’s children came to visit them on Sunday, but no one opened the gate for them.

When they entered the house, they first saw the couple’s househelp, Editha Fernandez, 63, lying unconscious in the dirty kitchen with a wound on her forehead.

Brig. Gen. Joselito Esquivel Jr., QCPD director, earlier suspected robbery as motive because the victims’ room was found in disarray, but Eleazar said the couple did not lose any of their possessions in the incident.