The family of a Canadian woman found dead in the Philippines just after Christmas wants national authorities in that country to take over the case, contending she was murdered and did not commit suicide as local police believe.

Elisa Loyo Gutierrez was found hanging by an electrical cord in an office at the Fontana Leisure Park, where she was working as a sous-chef.

Resort workers found the body after noticing a foul odour coming from the unused office.

The family last spoke to Gutierrez on Dec. 19, when she said she would return home to Thunder Bay, Ont., in either January or May, despite having committed to work at the resort until September.

Gutierrez's stepfather, Dan Somerfield, told The Canadian Press last week that his daughter had received death threats after she exposed several employees who were stealing meat from the kitchen and were subsequently fired.

A local official in Pampanga province, where the resort is located, declared the death a suicide, but Gutierrez's family says evidence at the crime scene suggests the 25-year-old was murdered.

According to Gutierrez's sister, Lucia, the family sent pictures of the crime scene to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico, where the family is originally from.

Ministry officials determined that Elisa could not have tied the knot in the cable used to hang her, Lucia said Wednesday during an interview on CTV Newsnet.

As well, drops of blood on the floor did not appear to come from the same height at which Elisa was found.

"There were many lacks in the investigation when she was found," Lucia said. "Many objects in the office where she was found were not taken into the investigation."

Authorities have also never found a suicide note.

Lucia said the family wants the National Bureau of Investigation to take over the case from local authorities, who have limitations in their authority.

A decision from the bureau was expected to come down Wednesday.

With files from The Canadian Press