A fact-finding inquiry into a deadly weekend stampede at a televised game show yesterday said organizer ABS-CBN TV failed to prepare adequate security for the event and can be held liable for criminal negligence.
Seventy-four people died and more than 500 were injured on Saturday when a huge crowd surged toward a gate in a frenzy to get raffle tickets and seats in the show in suburban Pasig city, trampling elderly women and children.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had ordered a probe and promised that those found liable would be prosecuted and punished.
PHOTO: AFP
The inquiry, which will present its findings to the Justice Department for possible prosecution, said the organizer of the show, Wowowee, which raffles off huge cash prizes, failed to secure the event for about 30,000 people who showed up -- far beyond the stadium's capacity of about 19,000.
"Not having any contingency plans for the extra 10,000 people that the network expected to come borders on irresponsible and incompetent management of the situation at best, to criminal negligence and endangerment leading to the loss of life at worst," the inquiry, led by Interior Undersecretary Marius Corpus, said in a report.
Corpus later told reporters the report cited at least three ABS-CBN officials for negligence.
He refused to release the names, saying it will be up to the Justice Department to decide if they are criminally liable.
ABS-CBN Assistant Vice President for Security Rene Luspo admitted to investigators on Sunday that the network had expected a crowd of about 25,000.
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.
Corpus said the melee erupted after someone from the television network announced to the crowd that not everyone could be accommodated, and those who couldn't get in would be given lesser prizes instead.
"The crowd ... was enticed and made to suffer all sorts of inconveniences and in that sense, were exploited, manipulated, treated like animals," the undersecretary said.
He said offering only a few tickets to people who had lined up for days was "like throwing a small slice of meat to a hungry pack of wolves and that triggered the stampede."
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 1 million pesos (US$19,230) in cash or a fully furnished house.
ABS-CBN Chairman Eugenio "Gabby" Lopez III vowed to take full responsibility, but said he was "outraged" by the statement of the fact-finding committee that the ABS-CBN program treated people "like animals."
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