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Sunday, February 12, 2006
Prosecutors evaluation on stampede report out in 10 days
MANILA -- The Department of Justice will release its assessment of the report submitted by a fact-finding body on a stampede that killed 71 people within the next 10 days.
The stampede outside the Philippine Sports Commission (formerly Ultra) Arena in Pasig City occurred prior to the 1st anniversary celebration of the ABS-CBN noontime television game show "Wowowee."
Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Anthony Richard Fadullon said the panel has started reviewing the report submitted by the fact-finding committee as well as video footages of the Ultra stampede.
If the evaluation panel finds the report is indeed lacking in substance and concrete evidence, then it will be referred to the NBI for further investigation and determination of accountability of individuals.
He refused to give an initial assessment on the report because it might preempt the evaluation of the panel.
Fadullon believes the report is not entirely useless.
"I think it would be unfair to say that what the task force and Undersecretary Corpus has done is useless. The facts that they have gathered, the statements that they have taken, the interviews that they have made would be very useful as leads for the conduct of a more exhaustive investigation," Fadullon said.
Based on the findings of the fact-finding committee, the production staff of "Wowowee" and security of ABS-CBN failed to coordinate with authorities in controlling the crowd, which became unruly after an announcement made by a production staff that only a limited number of tickets for the show would be distributed.
An estimated 30,000 people were outside Philsports Arena at that time the announcement was made.
Meanwhile, ABS-CBN's charity foundation Bantay Bata 163 is ready to open its books to dispute reports its funds were diverted for Pasig stampede victims.
Program director Tina Monzon Palma was reacting to presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor who reportedly questioned why ABS-CBN is using the foundation's funds, intended exclusively for poor children, to help people who died or were injured during the stampede that killed 71 people and injured over 600 others.
"We are willing to brief him on the use of the Bantay Bata funds," Palma said during the "Kapihan sa Sulo" forum Saturday.
She said financial assistance for victims are drawn from the ABS-CBN network itself because the foundation's funds are disbursed to finance specific child-related projects and to help children in need.
"We can't touch Bantay Bata funds for any purpose except for what these are intended for," she said.
Palma also junked speculations ABS-CBN is asking victims' families to waive their rights to file charges against the network in exchange for financial help and other forms of assistance.
She explained the documents they are issuing are intended to show proof such assistance was indeed extended to the people concerned.
Citing ABS-CBN's official count, Palma said 71 people died in contrast to media reports of 74.
This was based on the total number of victims embalmed by Arlington Memorial Chapel and the authorities, she said.
Palma did not discount the possibility of an out-of-court settlement between ABS-CBN and the families of the fatalities and those injured in the stampede, particularly since the latter will be facing lengthy judicial proceedings if they opt to file charges against the network.
This decision will be up to the people concerned although an amicable settlement "will be beneficial to ABS-CBN," she said.
Palma also said the management welcomes other possible ways of helping the victims of the tragedy.
Some relatives and family members of those who died and the 600 wounded in the stampede are reportedly planning to file a class suit against ABS-CBN because of the tragedy.
Palma said the management is expecting the victims or their kin to file a class suit against the network.
"We all know that they have the opportunity to file charges. We welcome that, that is their right," Palma added. (Sunnex)
(February 12, 2006 issue)
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