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Some sectors are blaming the Wowowee stampede on poverty. What can be more ridiculous?

The blame for that anniversary fiasco falls squarely on ABS-CBN. While CEO Gaby Lopez went on air to state that ABS-CBN was fully responsible, I can’t help but see duplicity in that manipulative TV network.

For one thing, their incompetent AVP for security, Rene Luspo, all but denied ABS-CBN, particularly his office, was to blame. He blamed the unruly crowd, but he couldn’t give an answer as to why the crowd became unruly. He hemmed and hawed at the questions of the fact-finding committee.

Secondly, ABS-CBN is constantly coming up with these syrupy sweet sentimental messages about unity and thankfulness for those who helped in the wake of the stampede. I still have to see a message of apology and accountability for the stampede. They make it appear that the help they extended was so much more than the extent of the tragedy as if they were knights in shining armor instead of the culprits.

Then there’s Willie Revillame who’ll shed tears at the drop of a coin. He went on live at the gossip-mongering TV show, The Buzz, to sob as if he were in the Garden of Gethsemane, ready to give his life in redemption for the pain that was caused by the stampede. The only thing that gave him away is that he loudly sniffed before the tears came as soon as the camera turned to him.

It should be recalled that mere hours after the stampede Revillame told Julius Babao in a live interview that he should continue with the show in spite of what happened. What callousness! Yet, I’m not surprised, because the man likes to insult and make fun of his contestants (same with Abunda during his Star Circle Quest days).

In that show of The Buzz, Boy Abunda was looking all somber, yet I could almost see his ears clapping at the ratings that show was probably generating, because Filipinos just love soap operas. And that’s the root of the Ultra stampede: RATINGS. In its quest to make ratings soar for Wowowee, ABS-CBN didn’t bother with the security of the poverty-stricken fans it purportedly wanted to make happy.

Revillame stated in The Buzz that he wanted to retire from Wowowee. I believe ABS-CBN should take up his offer and even altogether scrap that mendicancy-promoting program. Then we just might believe ABS-CBN is sincere in its efforts to bring succor to this tradegy.

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Where did ABS-CBN get their AVP for security, Rene Luspo? It doesn’t take one to be a rocket scientist to realize he’s hopelessly incompetent.

First of all, he suggested that one of the entrances to the show be the entrance that slopes and is of rough terrain. If people would surge on this kind of surface, it would be difficult to push them back. This is where the stampede happened. Incredibly, Luspo admitted that they were expecting an unruly crowd. So why did he suggest this entrance, which Ultra officials said they don’t even use?

Secondly, there was no contingent plan for the eventuality of an unruly crowd. It was a “react when something happens” sort of plan. He shrugs off the stampede as “things happen.” He should be made to face the victims’ families and give that statement.

Thirdly, there was no coordination with the other entities involved in that fiasco of a show. Luspo, as head honcho of security, did not bother to meet with the police, fire department and Ultra officials as one body to determine contingency plans. His strategy when things were getting out of hand: hold the barriers!

Yet, Luspo cannot be totally blamed. Wowowee organizers booked Ultra which could only hold 17,000 people, yet they admitted they were expecting an estimated 30,000 spectators. What gives? Were they just after the boast that they could attract so much people and then hope they could just turn away those who would not be able to get in?

How cruel of them to dangle money before the “masa” when they already knew a majority would be turned away. Yet that’s what Wowowee is all about. It’s a game show that disguises the promotion of mendicancy. They claim they simply want to make people happy. Willie Revillame kept of harping on that my ears almost bled. In my opinion, they’re using the masses to earn money from the show’s various sponsors. So what’s utterly important is ratings, ratings, ratings … which explains the non-stop plug-ins of the anniversary in spite of the fact they could only accommodate 17,000.

So now more than 70 people have died and hundreds more injured. Someone, somewhere has to be criminally liable!

As for Willie Revillame, I’m gong to work hard for him … to get nominated for a Famas award for best dramatic actor in a talk show.

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