UK citizen killed

• Brian Bridge, from Hampshire, started a new life farming in the Philippines
• He was murdered at his dream home, which he built in San Rafael
• His Filipina wife jumped from an upstairs window to escape the attack
• Mr Bridge's ex-wife and three children are mystified as to the motive

A retired British teacher who started a new life as an organic farmer in the Philippines has been murdered at his dream home.

Brian Bridge, 69, suffered multiple stab wounds in the attack as his terrified wife jumped from an upstairs window to escape.

His grieving family, from Kingsley, Hampshire, are mystified over the motive.

However, local reports say police are investigating a ‘possible conflict in relation to the couple’s business’.

Mr Bridge built his three-storey seaside home himself. It stands on stilts at Sitio Dacutan in San Rafael, where he and second wife Estrillita, 59, a Filipina nurse, pursued a self-sufficient lifestyle.

His ex-wife, Jane Williams, said their three children were working with Estrillita’s three children to liaise with police in the UK and the Philippines. ‘You wonder about the motivation for such a vicious act,’ said Mrs Williams.

‘You inevitably think there’s more to it and this is what we want to know. Brian had a life-long interest in self-sufficiency. His death is shocking but we are trying to be positive about it.

‘He’d fulfilled his dream and did a tremendous amount for local people. I can see there will be a lot of political issues because this could ruin things in terms of the tourist trade on the Philippines.’



She said Mr Bridge ‘maintained an English side to his life’. He and his wife were found by a friend after the attack. Mrs Bridge remains in a Philippines hospital with a broken leg and hip, while Mr Bridge’s body has been flown back to Britain.
Former Kingsley Parish Council chairman Mary Herbert, who had visited the farm on holiday, said: ‘I am horrified at the way he died. I just cannot imagine how his family are feeling.

‘Brian was the best sort of teacher. They encouraged local people to come and learn skills; they built a three-storey house; they showed local people how to install plumbing and electricity.

‘The whole intention was not just to create something for their pleasure but to give something to the community.


‘While we were there we met several people who owed their livelihood to the Bridges – not only with the construction of their house but also in the creation of their farm.
‘They were extending their expertise and enthusiasm into other areas. The skills they imparted to local people were then extended to others. We found the tranquillity absolutely beautiful. My husband and I had become very friendly with the Bridges.’

Another Kingsley resident, Violet Knight, 85, said: ‘I am terribly shocked. Brian was a very nice chap.’

An inquest into Mr Bridge’s death on June 17 has been opened and adjourned.

A Foreign Office spokesman said its officials were liaising with police in the province of Palawan and providing consular support to relatives.






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This is the kind of thing my wifes friends husband alludes to. Also something my wife refers to. Only the other day she said it is the level and nature of crime that is so different between the Philippines and the UK.

For sure the Philippines is a great place but the serious crime rate is high and if you dare cross some one then beware. Life is so cheap out there and it could be easy to upset a local and making them lose face with out even knowing it.

You seem to encapsulate my understanding quite well. I recall a Brit lost his life over there to a security officer, under similar circumstances, just a year ago...

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/21/british-man-killed-in-the-philippines

When I have time I'll write a post about loss of face for those who are going to visit first timers.im sure many from Europe do not understand know this cultural difference. It may save some one a very unhappy ending.

You must be getting lots of Tampo's like me, Dom

Reality of life in the Philippines, a sad story indeed. What I quite do not understand is his body being flown back to the UK, this means his Filipina wife will not be attending his funeral as she will still be laid up in a hospital bed with the injuries she sustained whilst escaping the murderers.

Surely it would be his wife who had the final say on such a matter.

Below is written by a respected Brit who has recently emigrated to the Philippines after being unhappy with life in the UK. He hasnt been in the Philippines many months and already his perceptions have changed:

"Until a couple of months ago I felt I'd become much more of a philanthropist since living here.

I wondered:-
was it the famed warm, friendly and family oriented Filipino culture that caused this, or
had I always been a nice, trusting and friendly guy who always went the extra mile to help out with respect and a smile, or was it a simple case of being taken advantage of?

Before identifying any cause for this I did some serious thinking and serious discussion with my wife. Was it a case of Filipino family values rubbing off on me, or was I just being me.

I'll just mention that my wife always knows best and invariable wins in any debate.
(BTW, I've planned it that way!

So, did I pick up on cultural family norms about the haves sharing with the have nots? or was it a case of trying to get everyone to like me? If the latter was true I can't really that since I believed they already liked me anyway long before becoming so philanthropic.

So we've recently reversed our strategy. Our close and trusted circle is now very significantly much smaller. The volume of communications has shrunk accordingly and we've become happier.

I'd always previously considered the support of our family to be a key factor in our Philippine retirement. Now I realise this is simply not a given

Solely from my own experience and thinking I've concluded that such trust issues do appear to me to be cultural.

If there's an opportunity for a quick gain then most folks here in the Philippines, in my view, will look to take advantage. Many folks in the Philippines live only in the moment without too much thought analysis to the future consequences of their actions.

I've developed a reality-based observation that you need to look very long and very hard to find someone you can really trust in the paradise islands."

This is a guy that planned his retirement to the Philippines meticulously.

Trust appears to be his number one concern, he doesn't seem to have found anyone he can trust 100% which isn't a good situation to be in wherever you are.

There is only one person you will be able to trust 100% in your life and that's your mother.

Maybe the guy needs to try giving the benefit of doubt theory a try.

My understanding is that he has done a lot of good work out there and been particularly generous in that sense. My interpretation is that he felt it would stand him in good stead in his retirement. Presumably some have been extracting the urine....

Under such circumstances it might be like walking on eggshells to avoid the "loss of face" type scenarios that Dublin Boy refers to.

That's number one rule for expats, don't make the locals lose face. Just walk away, don't ever shout at them, even if you are in the right.

Seems you cannot afford to put a foot wrong?

I remember raising my voice to a chap in Thailand when I was working on a building site there, he was burning special drill bits out used on stainless steel because he wasn't pushing on the drill hard enough, I shouted push ***k**g harder, he ended up chucking the drill at me

It is very difficult to keep calm sometimes

I dont really have the patience for the Fils daily soap opera that I occasionally still get when the missus becomes fed up with it, She is learning while remaining conflicted over the continual demands, her dad wants to be the family head which would be fine if he could manage it lol, instead he has recently chucked a daughter and son in law out who were handing over the pay check , be4cause the husbands family "gave" them 250sq mt of land, of course they are more skint now, but at least he still thinks he is the boss.

She sent money to finish high school , get birth certs , medicine, hospitals, fishing nets, trycycle and of course for rice and Ive rebuilt the house I think most of the rest didnt happen like it was stated to the extent the missus made it impossible to post on her wall , she not the only one to do this we know of .

Most people I know who live there from the west have moved Islands to get some distance from the families. Its relentless and as far as I can tell every one would rather eat fish than learn to catch them. In some ways the being in the moment is both the attraction for a lot of us and the thing that makes living there an interesting experience.

I pressed the like button, Keith, purely as it is good to see honest posts about the Philippines.

Timmers you should know the drill by now.

I have seen this, motor bike accident involved a german who has a good business in town. Anyway The German had nothing to do with the accident, but because he was there at the site he got blamed for everything.

So if you are anywhere near an accident, better to go away fast, unless it's your fault. Gosh it's more fun in the Philippines.

Well. This used to happen in Libya. So I know the drill.