Raps filed vs Tuguegarao mayor, 6 others over hotel fire

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has filed with the Department of Justice a complaint against Tuguegarao City Mayor Delfin Ting and six others for the Cagayan hotel fire in December last year. The fire that razed Sunshine Bed and Breakfast Pension House year resulted in the deaths of 16 people, including 10 nursing graduates who were about to take their licensure exam in the city. Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo earlier noted that the pension house did not have valid fire safety inspection certificate but had a mayor's permit. In the complaint filed with the DOJ last week, the DILG's inter-agency and anti-arson task force said Ting's office issued Sunshine Marketing, Sunshine Motorcycle Parts, and Sunshine Bed and Breakfast a business permit despite the lack of the city engineer's certificate of annual inspection. The DILG task force also said that Ting should have ordered the closure of the three establishments for allegedly operating without business permits. The DILG then charged Ting with negligence and tolerance, grave misconduct and abuse of authority, and gross neglect of duty or derilection of duty. Aside from Ting, those named on the charge sheet are the following: