Saturday morning, February 4, 2006. ULTRA (formerly University of Life) stadium in Pasig City, Metro Manila was teeming with people. Tens of thousands of sweaty bodies jostled one another for admission for the first year anniversary presentation of Wowowee, a daily noon time show on ABS-CBN, one of the biggest TV network company in the Philippines.

As early as Monday last week, people have already started to converge and set up camps in the nearby streets for want to be among the first 300 people to enter the venue. This, in the hope that they would be lucky enough to be picked to participate in the games and be able to win the grand prize of a house and lot, millions of cash prizes and other give aways.  

But in the morning of the supposed celebration, tragedy struck when the crowd became unruly and uncontrollable, and a stampede ensued, killing more than 70 people.

Such tragedy is an eye opener. It is a grim reality glaring at us in the face that many of our countrymen are desperately poor, that they would risk all they have, even their lives, just to have a take at games of chance hoping that luck would change their lives for the better.

The TV network officials and the host, Willie Revillame, claimed they only wanted to help poor people and give them better shots at life. Nobody wanted the tragedy to happen, they voiced out… but of course.

They take responsibility over the people who died and were hurt in the incident by shouldering funeral expenses, hospitalizations and medications. They even handed offers of counselling and therapy for those who lost their loved ones.

Well, THEY SHOULD! Until today, however, it is not clear whether the network would also indemnify the casualties’ families. Surely, said incident was not intended, but given a more in-depth thought, arises thus the question: Was there negligence on the part of the producers and network officials?

That they only wanted to help people, was unquestionable. However they should have been more realistic. They should have realized beforehand that by inviting more than what the stadium could accomodate could pose hazards to life and safety.

Poor victims. They were like pack of wolves fighting, clawing for  a piece of steak dangled over them. It was never worth it.