Lawyer torches own condo unit

MANILA, Philippines – A 72-year-old lawyer was arrested for arson after he set a condominium unit he was renting on fire in Quezon City Sunday.

Police said Rodolfo Mateo of Room 404 Parc Condominiums building on 15th Avenue in Cubao set his unit on fire using kerosene, but his neighbors broke down his door and put out the blaze before it could spread to adjacent units in the 15-story building.

Danilo Liwanag, president of the Parc Condominiums Homeowners Association, filed a complaint before the police for Mateo’s behavior.

Police said Mateo justified his act, saying he tried to burn his unit because management failed his unit’s water supply since it was cut five years ago.