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Monday, February 06, 2006
Arroyo vows punishment
MANILA — President Arroyo vowed yesterday to punish those whose negligence led to a deadly stampede before a televised game show, as an investigation highlighted critical security lapses in organizing the event.
At least 74 people died and more than 500 were injured Saturday morning when a huge crowd surged toward a gate in a frenzy to get raffle tickets and seats for the “Wowowee” game show in Pasig City, trampling
elderly women and children underfoot, police said.
“I assure the victims’ kin that the ends of criminal and social justice will be served, and those responsible will be taken to account for their negligence or misdeeds,” Arroyo said.
“The extent and implications of this tragedy have struck and shocked the whole nation,” she said.
About 30,000 had camped outside the Philsports Arena, some for days, hoping to take part in the show, which raffles off huge cash prizes, said Pasig Mayor Vicente Eusebio.
The melee erupted as the crowd pushed and surged toward the gates, thinking they were open, trampling those in front, witnesses said. Survivors said some people became rowdy when they could not get in.
A government panel yesterday summoned representatives of ABS-CBN, while President Arroyo visited the disaster site. She has asked the investigative panel to deliver results within 72 hours.
Pope Benedict XVI, in a message of condolence, said he was “deeply saddened” by the disaster and offered his prayers to the victims.
“The Holy Father offers his prayers for all those affected by this terrible accident,” said Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano in a telegram to the bishop of Pasig district, Francisco San Diego.
Government investigators led by Interior Undersecretary Marius Corpus said the show’s producers had failed to prepare an adequate plan to deal with the huge crowds.
ABS-CBN Assistant Vice President for Security Rene Luspo admitted to investigators during a live broadcast that the network had expected a crowd of about 25,000—far beyond the stadium’s capacity of about 17,000.
Luspo also admitted not having a contingency plan for a possible riot or stampede, and that police officials were not present during security meetings ahead of the show.
He said he had expected the about 200 police officers deployed at the scene to deal with security outside the stadium.
Corpus said organizers should have come up with a plan to handle the thousands of disappointed people who could get into the venue.
Unprepared
“You expect trouble when you send (away) people who were waiting for several days, or even several hours, or even the whole night,” Corpus told Luspo.
Investigators also summoned comedian Willie Revillame, host of the show, and a top network executive, but they did not appear during the questioning, after a company lawyer said they were not directly involved in organizing the event.
Corpus told reporters the investigation would try to gather facts to come up with steps that could prevent similar tragedies.
Their findings would also be submitted to the Department of Justice, which could use them in a possible criminal prosecution, he said.
Passers-by laid flowers and lit candles on the road where, a day earlier, corpses had lain side-by-side amid a litter of personal debris. Some onlookers silently prayed as janitors hosed down the area with water.
The ABS-CBN television channel held a special mass attended by its celebrities and executives.
Desperation
The tragedy gripped the country because many of the dead had apparently sought quick relief from poverty by aspiring to win cash prizes and goodies in the show.
Entry is free to the show, but for Saturday’s first anniversary edition, only the first 300 people were eligible to play games in which they might win up to P1 million in cash or a furnished house.
The show is wildly popular in a country where about 40 percent of the population live on P100 a day or less.
“There were 30,000 people as of Friday,” Corpus said. “There was an emergency meeting (among the show’s staff and stadium personnel), but there was no plan to deal with the crowd. That is what we initially think.”
He said the stadium could only seat 17,000 people and “30,000 could not be accommodated. There was no contingency for that.” (AP/AFP)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 6, 2006 issue)
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