Ex-Quezon City officials get 30 years for 2001 hotel fire

MANILA, Philippines — Eighteen years after the fire that took the lives of 74 persons, the Sandiganbayan has sentenced former officials of the Quezon City government and several others to 10 to 30 years in prison for their negligence and failure to perform their duties that led to the August 2001 Manor Hotel blaze.

Former city engineer and city building official Alfredo Macapugay and his electrical division chief Romeo Montallana were found guilty of three counts of graft and meted a maximum sentence of 30 years.

Their co-accused, including Manor Hotel owners William and Rebecca Genato, were also sentenced to prison for allegedly conspiring with the local officials.

Macapugay and Montallana, along with three former city hall employees were also meted the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from public office and loss of retirement or gratuity benefits.

“Considering the finding of conspiracy among all of the accused in these cases, we apply a uniform penalty for each of them. This is because all conspirators are liable as co-principals, following the principle that in conspiracy, the act of one is the act of all,” the anti-graft court’s Seventh Division said.

The ruling dated March 29 said the failure of the respondents “to properly conduct the electrical inspection of the hotel in 2001, despite their positive duty to do so, contributed to the continued precarious operation of the hotel, which led to the tragic fire and resulted to the untimely deaths and injuries to the unsuspecting guests of the hotel.”