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Tuesday, February 07, 2006
After stampede, gov’t should ‘pay attention to needs of poor’
The government should pay more attention to the needs of the poor, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal said, following the stampede in Manila that killed at least 74 people and injured more than 500 last Saturday morning.
“There is a need to improve more and more our services to the poor,” Vidal told reporters yesterday.
However, the cardinal acknowledged the lack of personnel that may be able to carry out sufficient aid for poor people.
“I sympathize with the families and the station because this thing happened which we did not expect. I pray for the repose of the souls of those who died and, at the same time, pray for people, especially those in Manila, to help out in the situation of the families,” said Vidal, who celebrated his 75th birthday yesterday.
Blame
The cardinal did not want to blame the TV station, which he believes only wanted to help people.
“I do not like to judge the intention of these people (ABS-CBN management); their aim was to help. Why do we have to condemn them?” Vidal said.
“But I think there is something that needs to be improved in the way that they organize things. It might not have happened if it was well-organized,” he also said.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr., however, said the people behind the noontime television game show “Wowowee” may face criminal and civil liabilities for the stampede at the Philippine Sports Commission Arena (formerly Ultra) in Pasig City.
Gonzalez said the producers of the program could face charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, multiple injury and damages.
However, Department of Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Marius Corpus said their investigation focuses only on the cause of the stampede and not on who would be held liable for it.
He said they will include in the report their recommendations on proper crowd management and control to avoid a repeat of the incident.
He said the Department of Justice will determine who among the event organizers have criminal liability. The National Telecommunications Commission, which is also conducting a separate investigation, will take charge of the administrative aspect of the case.
Lack
Corpus said the stampede happened because the event organizers, policemen in-charge of the area and the local government unit lacked disaster-preparedness and crowd control systems.
Those involved in security at the Philsports Arena also had no contingency plan in case trouble erupts, he added.
Most of those who were crushed to death or injured in the stampede came from depressed areas in Metro Manila and other parts of the country, wanting to try their luck in the noontime game show’s contests.
The show drew more than 30,000 people last Saturday because it was giving away P1 million cash, a house and lot, taxis and other prizes for its first anniversary.
The venue, though, could hold only 17,000 people.
Cardinal Vidal has offered prayers for those people who died in the tragedy in every mass he officiated since the incident. He also encouraged other priests to do the same thing. (JGA/(Sunnex)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 7, 2006 issue)
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