American held for attack on sex workers in hotel

MANILA, Philippines — An American man, who allegedly physically assaulted two sex workers who asked for a downpayment for their services, was arrested in Quezon City on Wednesday night.

Mario Christopher Burke, 28, a native of Homestead, Florida, was apprehended by police in response to the complaint of the women, who are in their 20s.

The incident occurred in a hotel along EDSA in Barangay Phil-Am, police investigators said.

Burke met the women through a dating application and they agreed to have sex in exchange for money, police said.

He and the women met in a room at the hotel at around 6 p.m. Probers said Burke got angry when the victims asked for a downpayment before they would have sex.

The suspect then attacked the victims, who alerted security officers of the hotel, according to police.

Burke was turned over to the police station, where he is being investigated for violation of Republic Act 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act.