A transgender woman has been found murdered in the city of Olongapo.

According to GMA, the 26-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, checked into a hotel with a “male, white foreigner”, having visited a disco bar together.

However, the woman was found dead by a cleaner half an hour later, when she was discovered strangled, with her head in the toilet.

According to police, the foreign man – who is considered a suspect – was wearing a white and blue striped shirt with white sleeves, black shorts, and a Marine haircut.

Chief Inspector Gil Arizo Domingo of the Olongapo City Police said the Westerner will be difficult to track, as there are currently several US Navy ships based in the area.

He told the Inquirer: “There are [thousands of American] troops in those ships and it would be difficult for us to track the suspect, if ever he is a US serviceman.”

However, he stressed there was no reason to believe the man was from the military.