Ex-QC officials convicted over 2001 Manor Hotel fire

The Sandiganbayan has found former Quezon City officials guilty of graft for their alleged neglect of duty that led to a fire at the Manor Hotel in 2001 which claimed the lives of 74 people.

Eighteen years since the hotel went ablaze, the Seventh Division convicted former city engineer Alfredo Macapugay and his former electrical division acting chief Romeo Montallana for three counts of violation of Section 3 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Macapugay and Montallana were sentenced to six to 10 years imprisonment for "each" count of graft.

City electrical division officials Romualdo Santos, Gerardo Villasenor, and Rodel Mesa were also found guilty for two counts of graft. They will face the same prison sentence of six to 10 years for each charge.

The same sentence was meted against Manor Hotel owner-operators William and Rebecca Genato, Marion Fernandez, Dionisio Arengino, and Candelaria Aranador.

The Sandiganbayan imposed the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office and forfeiture of any retirement or gratuity benefits against Macapugay, Montallana, and the city electrical division officers.

In the 121-page decision penned by Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses, the Sandiganbayan said the city engineer's office ignored the report of the city fire marshall stating the risks of the continued operation of the hotel.

The report said Manor Hotel lacked a business permit and was due for closure in 1999 for violations of the National Fire Code and the National Building Code.

"In spite the Bureau of Fire Protection's recommendation to close it down, the hotel continued to operate and this translates into income pouring into its coffers. It is clear from the records that accused Macapugay and Montallana's improper discharge of their functions caused grave undue injury to the public," the Sandiganbayan said.

Macapugay claimed he acted in good faith, saying he relied on his subordinates on the fire safety of Manor Hotel. He also pointed to the BFP as the agency responsible for fire exit regulation.

Rebecca, for her part, said the hotel had its own engineer tasked to conduct annual electrical inspection at the property.

The Sandiganbayan concluded the city officials and the owner-operators conspired with each other in allowing Manor Hotel to operate, thus "contributing 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."

“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 March 29 decision read.

"It is clear that the unjustified failure of the accused public officers and the obstinate refusal of accused private individuals to accomplish their respective duties made it possible for the QC Manor Hotel to continue to operate…eventually leading to the tragic fire that ended the lives of 74 persons,” it added. —LDF, GMA News