2.05.2006
Manila stampede inquiry points to security lapses
06 Feb 2006 07:09:35 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Manny Mogato
MANILA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A Philippine official investigating a deadly stampede for a popular television game show said on Monday there appeared to be poor coordination among security personnel and no contingency plan to deal with the disaster.
Health officials said 74 people, mostly elderly women, were killed and nearly 600 hurt on Saturday when a crowd as large as 50,000 surged towards a gate at a stadium in Manila to get into the first anniversary celebration of the show "Wowowee".
Commentators and politicians said the tragedy illustrated the desperation of poor Filipinos hoping to be picked at random from the audience for a chance to win a small prize, a car, a house or the jackpot of 1 million pesos ($19,340).
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered a five-member panel to deliver a report within 72 hours on the stampede at the show hosted by the ABS-CBN network.
The fact-finding team, which is not seeking to establish criminal liability, was due to wrap up its inquiry on Monday and submit its recommendations on how to avoid similar tragedies to the justice department on Tuesday.
Any criminal charges would come from the justice department.
"It would seem at this point there was no coordination with police officers in the field," Marius Corpus, an undersecretary at the interior department and head of the inquiry, said on television.
"There was no integrated security plan which should include a contingency plan to deal with an eventuality."
Three separate security forces were at work on the day -- guards for the stadium on the inside, personnel from ABS-CBN handling crowd control on the outside and police on the street keeping watch for pickpockets and other criminals.
"There was a request for police assistance but it was only that," Corpus said, adding police were not involved in crowd management. "That was the problem."
"MAD RUSH" FOR TICKETS
At Sunday's session of the inquiry, security officials from ABS-CBN and the Philippine Sports Commission, which manages the stadium, gave lengthy details about the stampede. Local police officials also testified.
Despite the inquiry's focus on security for the event, the behaviour of the large crowd also appeared to be a factor.
"I was screaming for help as I felt feet on my face, on my body and everywhere," Neneng Almonicar said from her hospital bed.
"People kept on pushing forward, ignoring those who fell and got stepped on. There was a mad rush for the tickets. They didn't care if people were hurt and dying as long as they could get in."
Eduardo Ermita, Arroyo's executive secretary, hit back at opposition criticism of the government's policies on poverty as the root of the stampede.
"I think it is carrying it too far," he told reporters.
"Wowowee", on six days a week at midday, is one of the most-watched shows in the Philippines and by communities of Filipinos living abroad. Thousands of people usually line up outside the ABS-CBN complex to be potential contestants.
In the past, a governor of Hawaii and a member of Brunei's royal family watched the show in the studio.
06 Feb 2006 07:09:35 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Manny Mogato
MANILA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A Philippine official investigating a deadly stampede for a popular television game show said on Monday there appeared to be poor coordination among security personnel and no contingency plan to deal with the disaster.
Health officials said 74 people, mostly elderly women, were killed and nearly 600 hurt on Saturday when a crowd as large as 50,000 surged towards a gate at a stadium in Manila to get into the first anniversary celebration of the show "Wowowee".
Commentators and politicians said the tragedy illustrated the desperation of poor Filipinos hoping to be picked at random from the audience for a chance to win a small prize, a car, a house or the jackpot of 1 million pesos ($19,340).
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered a five-member panel to deliver a report within 72 hours on the stampede at the show hosted by the ABS-CBN network.
The fact-finding team, which is not seeking to establish criminal liability, was due to wrap up its inquiry on Monday and submit its recommendations on how to avoid similar tragedies to the justice department on Tuesday.
Any criminal charges would come from the justice department.
"It would seem at this point there was no coordination with police officers in the field," Marius Corpus, an undersecretary at the interior department and head of the inquiry, said on television.
"There was no integrated security plan which should include a contingency plan to deal with an eventuality."
Three separate security forces were at work on the day -- guards for the stadium on the inside, personnel from ABS-CBN handling crowd control on the outside and police on the street keeping watch for pickpockets and other criminals.
"There was a request for police assistance but it was only that," Corpus said, adding police were not involved in crowd management. "That was the problem."
"MAD RUSH" FOR TICKETS
At Sunday's session of the inquiry, security officials from ABS-CBN and the Philippine Sports Commission, which manages the stadium, gave lengthy details about the stampede. Local police officials also testified.
Despite the inquiry's focus on security for the event, the behaviour of the large crowd also appeared to be a factor.
"I was screaming for help as I felt feet on my face, on my body and everywhere," Neneng Almonicar said from her hospital bed.
"People kept on pushing forward, ignoring those who fell and got stepped on. There was a mad rush for the tickets. They didn't care if people were hurt and dying as long as they could get in."
Eduardo Ermita, Arroyo's executive secretary, hit back at opposition criticism of the government's policies on poverty as the root of the stampede.
"I think it is carrying it too far," he told reporters.
"Wowowee", on six days a week at midday, is one of the most-watched shows in the Philippines and by communities of Filipinos living abroad. Thousands of people usually line up outside the ABS-CBN complex to be potential contestants.
In the past, a governor of Hawaii and a member of Brunei's royal family watched the show in the studio.
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cbox
my parents are really upset and distraught over this. it's all over the philippine news and it had a section in the fresno bee. :/
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