Canadian jumps from condo

A depressed Canadian national committed suicide over the weekend by jumping off from the roofdeck of a 32-story condominium building in Mandaluyong City.

Witnesses said when the victim, Nizar Dhalla, 58, of Vancouver, Canada hit the ground, his body was ran over by a speeding FX Tamarraw and a Kia van, severing his head.

Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City police chief, said Dhalla was married to Rosalina, a Filipina staying in Canada.

At about 2 p.m. last Saturday, Dhalla showed up at the condo unit of couple Nimay and Emma Das, at Unit 1211 on the 12th floor of the Cityland Towers located at the corner of St. Francis street and Shaw Boulevard.

Velasquez said the couple earlier had dinner with Dhalla, a family friend, at a restaurant at the Ortigas Center in Pasig City.

At the table, Dhalla had compared his life to a bowl of soup that was just served, saying it was "a total mess."

The couple said they went back with their guest to their condo unit at 5:30 p.m. After a few minutes, Dhalla excused himself. It was the last time the couple saw him alive.

Police investigators said the Canadian went up to the roofdeck, where he jumped to his death.

Security guard Reynaldo Ariola said he heard a loud thud from the front portion of the building at the basement’s parking area.

When Ariola rushed to the area to investigate, he saw Dhalla’s body in between two vehicles with his severed head lying next to his feet. He was clad in a green polo shirt and maong pants and had a belt bag.

Police said the foreigner may have been depressed after his relationship with his wife had turned sour. But Velasquez ordered a deeper probe into the incident to determine whether there was foul play involved.