DOT affirms liability of Makati hotel

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has affirmed the liability of City Garden Grand Hotel in Makati for “gross and evident bad faith in dealing with clients/ fraudulent solicitation of business from clients” after accommodating guests for leisure purposes despite being a quarantine. The hotel is where flight attendant Christine Angelica Dacera was found lifeless in one of its rooms on Jan. 1 following a New Year’s Eve party with friends. But the DOT reduced to two months the suspension of the hotel’s accreditation. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said the hotel sought a reduced penalty, citing the need to provide a stable source of income for its employees. —Tina G. Santos