Winrey Luke Candelada 11-Integrity

The PhilSports Stadium Stampede

 (also referred to as the ULTRA stampede or

the Wowowee stampede) was a crowd crush that occurred at
the PhilSports Stadium (also known as the ULTRA) in Pasig, Metro
Manila in the Philippines on February 4, 2006. It killed 73 people and
injured about 400. About 30,000 people had gathered outside the
stadium waiting to participate in the first anniversary episode of the
former television variety show Wowowee.
Background
On February 4, 2006, about 30,000 people had gathered outside the
PhilSports Stadium to participate in the first anniversary episode
of ABS-CBN early afternoon television game show, Wowowee. It was
scheduled at 1 pm. The football stadium was supposed to be the
viewing area of people who were not able to enter the basketball arena,
where the program was to be staged. The size of the crowd was
significantly larger than the usual 5,000 who attended previous
recordings which were held at ABS-CBN studios.
It was the show's first anniversary event, and there were prizes awaiting
to be offered including jeepneys, taxis and a top prize of one
million pesos. According to a Philippine Daily Inquirer report, most of the
victims were from the poorest parts of the Metro Manila and nearby
provinces, generally jobless and attracted by the show's promise of
instant wealth.

Crowd crush
At about 6:00am., organizers of the show began handing out tickets to
people in the crowd, many of whom had been camping outside the
stadium for days to acquire them. Overhearing the news, people started
trying to get ahead of the queue and became agitated. As people in
front of the line were given entrance to the stadium, the crowds became
more impatient and started pushing forward and shoving, prompting
security guards to panic and shut the entrance gates. Witnesses and
several survivors reported that the crush began when the already
impatient crowd continued pushing and shoving, causing one of the
barriers used to keep people in queue to collapse. Coincidentally, the
gates happened to be on a sloped driveway and when security guards
tried to seal the gates further and calm the crowd, the crowd continued
pushing and shoving as well as shaking the gates until they were forced
open. After the gates eventually gave way, people at the front collapsed
from exhaustion while others behind them stumbled. The sloped
driveway contributed to the worsening of the crush.
As a result of the tragedy, the network temporarily canceled
the show and indefinitely postponed the anniversary presentation.
Casualties
The crush killed 73 people and injured around 800 people. It was earlier
thought that 88 people had died, but this was due to double counting by
the rescue workers. The majority of the victims were young middle-aged
women, but also included elderly people.
Senator and Philippine National Red Cross Chairman Richard
Gordon said that most of the injured were not in serious condition and
many have been treated and released. The Philippine National Red
Cross led by chairman Richard Gordon, ABS-CBN's affiliated NGOs,
and the TV network itself led the efforts in recovering the dead bodies,
providing medical care for the injured, and other related assistance. The
victims were also fully assisted by government authorities.
ABS-CBN's current chairman Eugenio "Gabby" Lopez III, who was
also the company's Chief Executive Officer at the time of the
incident, promised to provide aid and financial assistance to the
victims and their families. The network also formed 71 Dreams
Foundation to assist the relatives of the victims.Investigation and
aftermath.
Bomb threats and false alarms
Some survivors and officials stated in reports that the crush was caused
and worsened by bomb jokes and other false alarms shouted by one or
more rowdy crowd members. A report by BBC and ABC News also
theorized the legitimacy of the alleged bomb scares but police and other
authorities denied the statements due to insufficient evidence.
Task Force Ultra
Task Force Ultra, an inter-agency investigating body consisting of
the National Capital Region Police Office, Department of Interior and
Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Justice, was created
to investigate the cause of the crush. According to its findings,
Wowowee offered only very few tickets to a very large crowd, which had
been waiting for days to gain entry to the stadium.
In its statement, the surge was triggered by an ABS-CBN staff member
announcing to the crowd gathered at the gate that only the first 300
people in line beneath the covered walkway leading to the stadium
would be chosen to participate in the Pera o Bayong portion of the
show. This portion, which offered from ₱10,000 to ₱50,000 in prizes
(US$193 to $969 at a rate of $1=₱51.70), "excited" the crowd and
"incited the people who were outside the official queue to push their way
into the already jampacked queue, hoping that they could squeeze in
among the first 300." To control the deluge of people wanting to get in,
the network's staff closed the gate, but the rush of people, coupled with
the steep incline and uneven surface of the road caused those in front
of the mob to stumble and fall, culminating in the crush that caused the
majority of the deaths and injuries.
It was also reported an "obvious lack of coordination" between the
organizers and relevant government agencies. It said that while ABS-
CBN had sought the assistance of Pasig's mayor and police chief,
"neither was invited to any of the organizers' production meetings."
The National Telecommunications Commission, a government agency
that supervises all radio and television broadcasting stations and other
telecommunications services, said ABS-CBN could lose its license to
operate if it is proven that the network was "delinquent" in providing
enough measures to protect those who went to the venue. The
commission will compose an inquiry as to whether ABS-CBN violated a
1985 circular that requires TV networks "not to commit any act that
would be detrimental to public health, public welfare or public safety."
In October 2006, relatives of the victims announced that a class suit will
be filed against ABS-CBN and its chief executive officer (CEO). “There
is now probable cause (for the case),” said Dante Jimenez, the
chairman of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC).
On January 29, 2008, the Supreme Court ruled with finality dismissing
ABS-CBN's case of junking the investigation by the Department of
Justice. Hence after 2 years of ABS-CBN's blocking of closure to the
event, the DOJ can now indict all of those involved in the crush except
for Willie Revillame, the show's host.
Reaction
Then-Pope Benedict XVI, expressed sadness over the incident after the
news hit Rome and other parts of the world. Vatican Secretary of State
Cardinal Angelo Sodano said in a telegram to Pasig district
Bishop Francisco San Diego that 'the Pope offers his prayers and
condolences for all those affected by this terrible accident.'
On the first anniversary of the disaster, rather than celebrating the
second anniversary of the show, Wowowee offered the last segment of
the show to a candlelight vigil lent and moment of silence in the studio
with Revillame giving a short statement and the show ending with Yeng
Constantino singing "Hawak Kamay."[citation needed]. Simultaneously,
the hosts, producers, and the director of Eat Bulaga!, Wowowee's
rival variety show on GMA Network, offered a minute of silence and
prayers for the victims of the crush before they started the show. A
contestant on the show's former segment, "On The Spot Jackpot", had
a relative who died during the incident and shared his/her experiences
about what happened before quoting that "life is more important than
money". ABS-CBN later thanked their rival network for their prayers and
sympathies.
The 2007 and 2010 editions of Guinness World Records cited this
incident as "the greatest death toll in a game show"