The Desperate Search for Forever in Surigao

The year was 1999. Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 was the silent witness to a common story of departure, signaling the start of a new fate abroad. Joel Canlas, 29, an electrician from Bulacan, carried his backpack, ticket, and passport, along with the firm promise of a brighter future.

However, the departure was a path taken by many, including the millionaire Canadian, Harry Doyle.

Harry Doyle, born and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, was a successful real estate investor and trader who had acquired significant wealth, owning hotels and bars.

Yet, despite his overflowing fortune, he could not find the right woman to share his life with.

Harry, reportedly desperate to find a wife, registered with a “mail-order bride” agency.

His sister, Joan, revealed that while Harry had no problem finding girlfriends, they often did not want to have children with him.

In his final attempt to have a family, Harry traveled to the Philippines in 1999, a known destination for foreigners seeking love.

Among the myriad islands and provinces, he chose to visit Surigao City. Within days of his arrival, the 46-year-old millionaire met 23-year-old Erma Udang, known locally as Jane.

Accounts of their meeting differ—some friends claim they met online, while others say they met on the beach. Despite the two-decade age gap, their affection for each other was undeniable.

Harry quickly married the Filipina, and his love for her grew deeper with the birth of their first son, Joseph. Their marriage not only transformed Jane’s life but also uplifted her entire family.

The Shooting at Jane’s Lodge

The Canadian decided to buy several properties in the area, one of which was a resort they named Jane’s Lodge. According to reports, on August 12, 2012, the Doyle family visited the resort, including Harry, his wife, their son, and their personal driver.

The weather was fine, and Harry went for a swim. Afterwards, he returned to the cabana to get some food. Tragically, this would be the last meal he would ever seek.

According to the sworn testimonies of witnesses, two men approached the Canadian. The men argued intensely, with Harry’s voice clearly dominating the exchange.

However, before the witnesses could understand the nature of the dispute, the foreigner suddenly collapsed.

He had been shot by the men right in front of Jane and his eldest son. Despite the bright sun, no one dared to pursue the assailants as they were visibly armed.

Harry was declared deceased on the spot. Jane attempted to save her husband, but due to the remote location of the resort, an ambulance could not arrive quickly enough.

The news of the millionaire’s fate quickly reached his family in Canada. A week after Harry’s life was taken, the 36-year-old widow, who was pregnant at the time, brought her husband’s remains back to Canada, accompanied by her eldest son, for a proper burial.

Greed and the Unsettling Aftermath

Nearly two years after the fatal incident, in November 2014, two men appeared in court as suspects in Harry’s passing. The trial was attended by the victim’s two sisters, who had traveled from Canada.

The defense team for the accused men claimed that their clients were innocent and falsely accused. They argued that the police failed to properly investigate and that the true mastermind was likely someone with whom the arrogant millionaire had quarreled.

They brought in expatriates who knew Harry to testify that he was indeed arrogant and prone to conflict. They claimed Harry often boasted that he could provide women or drugs to anyone who needed them at his bar, suggesting he had many enemies.

Harry’s sisters, however, took the stand to paint a different picture: one of staggering greed on the part of the Filipina. Documents from Canada published in 2010 revealed that Jane was the sole beneficiary of Harry’s assets and money, estimated at over $2 million.

The prosecutor used this angle: Jane was the only person who benefited from Harry’s sudden death.

To convince the court, the prosecution argued that Jane merely endured the marriage, patiently waiting for Harry, whom she saw as old, to pass away naturally so she could claim his millions.

They claimed Harry, manipulated by his love, never asked for a prenuptial agreement.

Harry’s sister testified that when Jane arrived in Canada for the wake, she was shocked that Jane immediately contacted a lawyer for a meeting to determine the percentage and amount of money she would receive from Harry’s estate.

Jane was reportedly surprised that Canadian law did not allow the reading of the last will and testament or the movement of Harry’s bank accounts while a case was still pending in the Philippines.

Harry’s sisters found it unbelievable that Jane was so eager to take possession of the money before Harry was even properly buried.

The Love Triangle and the Conspiracy

The prosecutor also revealed that authorities had difficulty obtaining statements from Jane after the crime, noting that she often cited health problems due to her sensitive pregnancy.

They felt she was unwilling to cooperate and did not want the case solved. Jane eventually gave an interview but claimed she could not identify the assailants because they were wearing masks—a claim the authorities quickly dismissed.

A key witness from the resort testified that it was impossible for Jane not to have seen the attackers, as they were very close when they shot Harry.

The witness further testified that the assailants were not wearing masks. The witness positively identified the suspects as Johnny Parian and Jerome Dizon (Harry’s personal driver).

The prosecution also presented a foreigner who testified that he had seen Jane, the driver Jerome, and the Parian brothers together talking at an establishment weeks before the crime.

Moments before the shooting, the witness saw Jane, the driver, and the two gunmen talking near the cabana where Harry was eating.

When Harry noticed the conversation, he did not chase the men away. Instead of obeying the foreigner, the men drew their guns and fired.

The witness noted Jane’s strange reaction: while any other wife would scream and embrace her bleeding husband, Jane never once touched Harry, as if afraid to get blood on her clothes.

Authorities revealed that the driver, Jerome, was actually Jane’s lover.

Using the testimonies and evidence, the prosecutor theorized that Jane, driven by her love for the driver and her overwhelming greed, decided to hire the gunmen to eliminate Harry rather than wait for him to pass away naturally.

The prosecution alleged that Jane paid the gunmen P50,000 for the ultimate act of violence.

The Verdict and Legacy

An arrest warrant was issued for Jane, but she had already fled to Canada, reportedly staying in a friend’s apartment and using a different name.

Harry’s friends in Canada were dismayed and approached a Canadian TV network, which managed to track Jane down. Confronted by the media, Jane repeatedly denied her involvement, but refused to comment further, directing them to her lawyer.

There are no public records confirming the verdict for the gunmen, but in 2016, a Canadian judge reportedly allowed Jane to withdraw $100,000 from their joint account.

Years later, Harry’s eldest son, Joseph, defended his mother on YouTube, claiming his aunts were “great actresses” and that his father was not close to his Canadian family.

He argued that his father always claimed he had no family in Canada. He defended Jane, stating that even though she was uneducated, she was a better person than most.

The case remains a stark reminder of the collision between desperation, love, and immense financial temptation.