By Hans Amancio
An alleged drug user died after he set himself on fire inside his neighbor’s house in Tondo, Manila, Sunday.
The victim identified as Renato “Kulot” de Jesus died inside a house at the corner of Ma. Guizon and Leyte Streets in Gagalangin Tondo, said Senior Inspector Reden Alumno of the Bureau of Fire Protection-Manila.
According to Jocelyn Ferrer, who has been occupying the house for a month, a seemingly troubled De Jesus entered their house on Sunday morning, saying that someone was going after him. Ferrer and her family vacated the house, leaving De Jesus inside.
After few minutes, a fire broke out at around 9:58 a.m. on the second floor of the house. Fire marshals immediately responded to the scene and declared fire out at 10:16 a.m. They found the charred remains of the victim.
Neighbors of De Jesus claimed that prior to the incident, De Jesus was intoxicated and tried to commit suicide by drinking muriatic acid. Some residents also claimed that the De Jesus was an alleged illegal drug user.
SFO2 Armando G. Cruz said that the victim was an all-around helper in the neighborhood and was known for his house-painting services. One of his clients was the Ferrer family.
De Jesus’ remains underwent an autopsy Sunday afternoon and was laid to rest on the same day.
Arson officials are still conducting further investigation on the incident.