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Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Militants blame Arroyo for Ultra stampede
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
MILITANT groups believe the tragedy that occurred during the first year Anniversary of a popular game show was not the fault of ABS-CBN but President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her anti-people policies.
The Ultra stampede on February 4, which happened during "Wowowee" anniversary celebration, killed 74 people and injured hundreds of others.
Black and White Movement co-convenor Bencyrus Ellorin and Youth for Gloria's Ouster spokesperson Kristine Lim said the incident Saturday could be blamed on ABS-CBN or to the 30,000 to 50,000 people who waited outside the PhilSports Arena (formerly Ultra) with the hope of winning the 2.5 million worth of prizes.
Ellorin blamed the television show incident to the political-economic climate created by Arroyo's policies that resulted to stiff competition for ratings and advertisements.
He said "advertisements are indicators of the economy" and the reality is that businessmen are cutting down their budget on advertisements because of the political-economic crisis the country is going through today.
"Hence, the advertisement pie is so small and there are many competing for a portion of it. It is no longer surprising if television stations would resort to such games to give hope to the hopeless," he said during the Citizen's Pilgrimage for Truth and Reforms press conference Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Lim said Wowowee's "intention is to provide entertainment and games that would hopefully alleviate the people's grave condition."
Lim's group is likewise convinced that most of the people who crowded there came from the depressed areas in Metro Manila and other provinces and have meager or no other source of income.
"Their poverty left them no other choice but to gamble their chances on game shows and raffle draws," she said.
Lim said the incident "fermented due to the degrading economic condition of our country."
She said the incident could have happened in other game shows or raffle draws anywhere in the archipelago.
"But it could never be prevented. The Arroyo regime has miserably failed to provide adequate social services and employment to its people," Lim said.
"Arroyo's assistance to the families of the victims of the incident came too late. It is but a desperate move to wash her hands of any blame. Moreover, the minimal aid would only be temporary," she said.
But Lim said majority of the Filipinos continue to suffer in poverty due to Arroyo's anti-people policies.
She added that prices of basic commodities continue to soar due to the Expanded Value-Added Tax "contrary to the wages of the workers and the income of the people."
"Arroyo and her cohorts continue to disillusion the people of economic reforms," she said.
Lim said the incident should be a "wake-up" call for Arroyo to step down and for the people to call on her urgent ouster.
(February 8, 2006 issue)
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