The gall of ABS-CBN....
I read this article on INQ7.net and I must say I just feel appalled. Here is my reaction to certain points mentioned in the article:
ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. on Wednesday rejected the findings of the Task Force Ultra and called for an "impartial investigation"” into the stampede Saturday that killed 74 people and injured 400 at the venue of one of its game shows.
I'm all for impartiality and all that, but 74 people are dead and 400 injured, all because of promos which promised millions in cash and prizes in a television show that they aired. Well, they got more than they bargained for, with tens of thousands of people literally lining up and banging at the gates of the Philsports Arena, hoping against hope that they could be one of the lucky few to partake in the enticing booty. The sheer volume of people led to a crushing stampede leading to numerous deaths and injuries, and the saga of the popular noontime show's much ballyhooed first year anniversary came to a resounding halt amidst highly disturbing photos and news footage of dozens of corpses strewn in front of the entrance of the Philsports Arena. No, this is not a war. This is noontime television. And when an investigating body points the finger at them, they cry no fair! and want an impartial investigation? WTF?
In fairness, DILG Undersecretary Marius Corpus' statements may be overly strong, but it's not that far from reality if you think about it. Tens of thousands of people lured by the promise of millions, exposed to the elements, with hardly any sufficient security, crowd control, or medical assistance, no food or water, without even as much as a toilet in the vicinity, fighting like dogs for a limited number of tickets. Isn't that being treated like an animal?
The company rejected lead investigator Interior undersecretary Marius Corpus’ comments Tuesday alleging that the crowd was "treated like animals," saying "irresponsible statements" about the stampede have been hurting ABS-CBN's share price.
My God! People have died, and they're concerned about their share price?!?!
"We had cooperated fully with government, hoping that we are united in grief and sincerely committed in our search for truth. And the truth was what we were expecting to hear yesterday from the fact-finding committee," Nepomuceno told a press conference.
Does ABS-CBN think that cooperation will absolve it of any fault? Who else do they expect to be blamed? The local government? The police? It is ABS-CBN and the organizers and planners of Wowowee which are primarily responsible for this tragedy, and no amount of cooperation, or impartiality, or opinion-making will change that fact. I'd like to see them spin themselves out of this one.
"But instead of the facts, the fact-finding committee delivered what it later admitted to be its personal opinion ... that ABS-CBN had exploited, manipulated and treated its viewers like animals," he said.
Opinion or otherwise, whether its a fair analogy or not, it just isn't at all far from the truth. No matter what they say.
The task force submitted to the Department of Justice on Tuesday its findings, which among others, blamed television network ABS-CBN for the tragedy and cited several of its officials for alleged negligence.
Is there anyone else whom we can blame? ABS-CBN is dreaming if they think they deserve to go scot-free after botched planning and preparation robbed more than 70 families of their loved ones one early Saturday morning.
People have died. People have been hurt. Heads should definitely roll from this incident. For ABS-CBN to escape from criminal liability in this instance is virtually admitting that the impoverished lives of 74 souls have no value in this world of ours.
And that is something that I am just not willing to accept. A life lost is a life lost, irreplaceable, gone forever. Let's see them try and place a price tag on human life. I still believe that there are still some things that money cannot buy.
Comments
They let the crowd swell for 3 reasons
1.to boost their AC NIELSEN RATINGS,
2.get the lion's share of the advertising budget,
3.get bragging rights to say to rival eat bulaga "kaya nyo 'to?"
and they do it all... in the service of the Filipino, worldwide.
TK: Is that sarcasm I smell? :-) But I agree. They claim to be for public service, when at the end of the day, it's only the bottomline that matters.
in service of the Filipino worldwide...
Service alright. Funeral services for those who died.
Punzi: It certainly is. Just a mere suggestion of the possibility of winning millions, and they're all off to ULTRA...
And go wrong their experiment did.
Rain: They certainly did. The masses are not objects to be used as tools to advance personal or corporate goals. That's why they should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.