An 84-year-old widow was seriously injured after her son-in-law doused her with gasoline and set her on fire in her home in Barangay Bolinawan, Carcar City, southern Cebu.
Lolita Lico-an was taken to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City due to severe burns in her head and body.
The suspect, Ignacio Brade Tribunalo, 55, was arrested after the incident on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 5.
Police said Tribunalo will face frustrated murder charges.
Police Staff Sgt. Japeth Saavedra of the Carcar City Police Station said Tribunalo arrived in Lico-an's home looking for his wife, Suzette, the victim's daughter.
Lico-an was doing laundry at the time.
Police said Tribunalo got irked when Lico-an told him that she did not know her daughter’s whereabouts.
The suspect took four bottles of gasoline from his backpack and confronted Lico-an.
Lico-an insisted that she didn't know where her daughter was and the suspect got furious and poured gasoline on the victim.
The suspect set the victim ablaze using a lighter.
He fled after the incident but was cornered by the victim’s neighbors who brought him to the police.
Police said it was possible that the suspect was drunk during the incident.
The victim’s daughter left their home with their children due to repeated physical abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of the suspect.
The suspect would become violent when drunk, police said.