As I was switching between ABS-CBN and GMA 7 using my worn out remote control gadget, I could readily see that most of their shows feature quite similar, if not uniform concepts. Even their respective slogans — “kapamilya” and “kapuso” — not only sound the same but seem intriguing as well. But don’t be misled. Behind those congenial taglines are the deep-seated and deliberate efforts by these two giant networks to entice more viewers by coming up with all sorts of marketing strategies and promotional gimmicks. So intense is their rivalry that oftentimes it becomes a personal one, with its artists trading below-the-belt accusations to the delight of the viewing public. Why the need to entice more viewers? The answer can be found in this simple and self-explanatory formula: MORE VIEWERS = HIGHER RATINGS = MORE ADVERTISEMENTS = BIGGER PROFIT.
Consciously or unconsciously, this sure-fire formula was what prompted ABS-CBN to come up with a show like WOWOWEE, assuring its mostly poor patrons with big cash prizes by simply participating as studio contestants. And while it is true that the show has indeed helped hundreds of indigents from the slums of Metro Manila and nearby provinces, it has unwittingly promoted what most observers call the “culture of mendicancy”, where people are lured by the promise of instant money and thus become dependent on cash dole-outs.
What could have been a celebration of WOWOWEE’S first anniversary last February 4 resulted in a tragedy that cost the lives of 79 people (and still counting) and injured more than 600 others. There’s no question that nobody wanted this to happen and that all efforts are now being undertaken by the network to lessen the trauma of the victims and their families. However, from a bystander’s point of view, it would not have occurred had the show’s organizers put up adequate crowd control measures. Reports indicate that as early as two days prior to the supposed event, a lot of people were already converging within the vicinity of ULTRA. This fact alone should have prompted them to coordinate with police and local government officials for purposes of working out a contingency plan. Instead, the results of the initial investigation showed that ABS-CBN never lifted a finger to lessen the inconvenience of the attending crowd, contrary to the earlier pronouncements of the show’s host, Mr. Willie Revillame, that he personally saw to the comfort of the would-be participants.
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I cannot blame the people who were at the ULTRA for acting the way they did during that fateful moment. Motivated by the desire for a better life, they braved all kinds of hassles just to have a shot at winnng the prizes to be given away to the lucky contestants. If only to illustrate how desperate their situation was, not even the call of nature could take them away from where they were stationed. As a result, the area practically transformed into one big comfort room (but without the toilet), forcing them to urinate or even defecate on the very space they were standing. You could just imagine the stench passing through their nostrils! But their adrenalin was so high that all they wanted was to get inside the stadium. So, when the sad news broke out that the show could no longer accommodate additional participants, they became restless and at the same time agitated and started pushing and shoving the other people in front. Then the unthinkable happened. As soon as the dust began to settle, dead bodies were seen scattered all over, most of them women and elderly citizens.
I am dismayed by the insistence of the network’s executives that ABS-CBN is not the only entity primarily liable for the tragedy. They also point an accusing finger at police and local government officials for failing to extend sufficient assistance to the outnumbered security force provided by both ULTRA and ABS-CBN. In one of their press conferences, they presented an illustration of the respective areas of responsibility of ABS-CBN, ULTRA and the Pasig police. The latter, they argued, was supposedly assigned at the place where the stampede occurred, thereby implying that it was already the responsibility of the police to secure the same.
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While it can be said that the police may have committed some security lapses, the primary liability should still fall on the show’s organizers. If at all, the liability of the police is merely contributory. Let me advance three short reasons why. First, WOWOWEE organizers knew fully well that it would be virtually impossible for the police to completely secure the area considering their limited manpower (as many as 30,000 were expected to attend). Second, they failed to devise a contingency plan to prepare for such eventuality as shown by the obvious lack of coordination before, during and immediately after the stampede. And third, it was their own announcement (that only 300 tickets would be given away to those still outside) which triggered the confusion and mad scramble towards the narrow gate.
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In fairness to ABS-CBN, they promptly agreed to shoulder all the funeral and incidental expenses connected with the tragedy. This does not absolve them, however, from culpability. As a matter of fact, they are expected to do precisely just that or else they risk losing whatever is left of their remaining credibility. What the people want is a SINCERE, HUMBLE, and HONEST-TO-GOODNESS ADMISSION OF NEGLIGENCE on the part of the show’s producers. Sad to say, there are attempts by some quarters to spin the whole thing by broaching the idea that what happened was an accident and nobody is really to be blamed for it. Whoever thought of this idea is either motivated by the instinct of self-preservation or worse, is plainly not in his right senses. The parties involved should bring to a close their useless counter-accusations and get their acts together. And if the organizers continue to wash their hands of this tragic incident, no amount of theatrical remorse could swing public sympathy in their favor.
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Justice must be served. No matter who. No matter what.
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