Everyone to blame for stampede

Prosecutors from the Department of Justice found that Pasig City local and police officials, including Mayor Vicente Eusebio, may be held liable for the Feb. 4 "Wowowee" stampede that left 71 people dead and hundreds of others injured.

In its report to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, a four-member panel of prosecutors recommended that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) look into other possible culpability beyond the producers of "Wowowee," broadcast giant ABS-CBN, and the game show’s organizers.

The panel, led by senior state prosecutor Joselito Mendoza, also stated in its report that several government and police officials may be directly or indirectly responsible for the tragedy and have recommended an investigation.

Among them are Eusebio, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez, Pasig police chief Senior Superintendent Raul Medina and local barangay officials. Other local and police officials were also named in the report.

Two security agencies, one hired by ABS-CBN and the other hired by the PSC — which manages Philsports Arena, the site of the tragedy — are also to be investigated.

Mendoza’s panel handed its recommendations to Senior State Prosecutor Leo Dacera, the head of the prosecution panel which will now conduct a preliminary investigation to determine if charges are warranted. Dacera was given until Monday to submit his findings.

Charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and multiple grave physical injuries may be filed against ABS-CBN and the others as well.

Gonzalez declined to comment on the report submitted by Mendoza’s panel.

"We don’t want to speculate. There are people who might feel prejudiced. I am sensitive to this because there had been statements before that I may not fairly handle this case. There is that apprehension by ABS-CBN after the President made that statement," Gonzalez said, referring to President Arroyo’s earlier comment that the organizers of "Wowowee" were to blame for the Feb. 4 stampede.

ABS-CBN called Mrs. Arroyo’s statement premature.

The panel based its recommendations on the report submitted by a fact-finding inquiry formed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government to investigate the tragedy.

Earlier, the DILG inquiry — which included Eusebio and Medina — concluded that the show’s organizers and ABS-CBN failed to provide adequate security for fans and could be held criminally liable for the tragedy.

The panel cited at least three unnamed ABS-CBN executives for negligence.

The NBI is currently conducting its own investigation to determine possible liability and criminal charges.

ABS-CBN had demanded another "impartial investigation" into the stampede, noting that members of the DILG panel included police officials who ABS-CBN believes should also share blame for the tragedy.

Network officials maintained that organizers of "Wowowee" did all they could to ensure safety.

They point to their Jan. 17 letter to Mayor Eusebio seeking a permit for the show, saying they sought security assistance from local authorities because a stampede for tickets was a possibility. They sent a copy of their letter to the local police.

Eusebio, however, blamed the show’s organizers for not coordinating with the police.

Some 30,000 people had massed outside Philsports Arena to get into the live broadcast of "Wowowee," in which huge prizes were to be offered to the audience. But the stadium could only accommodate 17,000 people.

The crowd broke through a metal gate, trampling upon one another in the rush for tickets.

Fans had hoped to win jeepneys or houses or even the top prize of P1 million, a special offering on the show’s first anniversary.

Around 40 percent of Filipinos live on about P100 a day, and game shows like "Wowowee" that offer substantial prizes have a huge following.

Interior Undersecretary Marius Corpus, head of the DILG fact-finding panel, said ABS-CBN treated the thousands of "Wowowee" fans "like animals, made to suffer inconveniences and made to fight for raffle tickets."

"Offering a few tickets to so many people can be likened to throwing a small piece of meat to a pack of wolves and this triggered the stampede," he said.

Corpus later apologized for the statement after ABS-CBN chief executive Eugenio Lopez III expressed outrage and denied the network had treated fans shabbily.

Aside from possible criminal charges from the Department of Justice, ABS-CBN is facing a possible class-action suit from stampede survivors and families of the victims.