Ilongga among the dead in Wowowee stampede
Iloilo -- An Ilongga working as househelp for a family in Tanay, Rizal was among the 74 dead in Saturday's stampede hours before the supposed start of the anniversary presentation of popular game show, Wowowee.
Ofelia Casipe of Bingawan, Iloilo was among the thousands of other hopefuls who patiently waited for hours, others days even, and lined up to enter the show's venue at the Philsports Arena (popularly known as Ultra stadium) in Pasig City. It was to be her birthday present for herself as she texted her daughter Jumilla Casipe-Ponferanda that maybe she will be the next millionaire. She also said that she was on her way to the Ultra stadium with three other friends who eventually survived the stampede.
With government investigation underway on the tragic incident that also hurt over 500 others, help came too late for Casipe whose body was crushed in the stampede that caused her instantaneous death.
In a report, The News Today gathered that the 54 year-old Casipe asked permission from her employers to avail of an early day off from work in order for her to be at the Ultra. With the show set to start noon of Saturday, Casipe and several other friends positioned themselves close to the stadium side entrance early Friday evening. By then, an estimated 5,000 people were already closeby with the same intent - be among the first to enter the Ultra as soon as the gate opens.
The "early birds" were promised tickets for a raffle that would have given them the chance at the P20,000 cash as door prizes. Altogether, some P4 million were at stake alongside a house and lot, passenger jeepney, taxi, and tricycles for winners.
Reports are also being validated on the information passed along by network insiders that disclosed how game show executives were alleged to have purposely allowed the crowd to gather at such number for them to capture the scene on camera. One source said they were about to open the gates in 15 minutes with the aerial and ground-stadium shots already on standby.
"A disaster waiting to happen," Ilonggo lawyer and journalist Cornelio Panes said when reached for comment. Panes was in the area the night before the tragic incident and told The News Today that he had a bad feeling about the entire scene after seeing scores of people allowed to litter by the stadium premises.
"Clearly, there were thousands of them occupying the road and the roadside with the four lanes only allowing one lane access to traffic. I did not see any stadium security nor network security or the police in the area. As it is, it took us hours to pass by the area with the people milling around all throughout the sidewalks and the main road itself, at times crossing the street. Really, one disaster waiting to happen which of course unfortunately happened as I feared."
Among those who helped in the rescue was Ilonggo executive Raul Garganera, former head of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) here and now manager of PNRC rescue team in Manila.
In an interview, Garganera told Bombo Radyo the gruesome sight upon the team's arrival at the Ultra. This, he said, after seeing piles of bodies as yells for help were heard everywhere. It took them hours to get through the injured as more rescue teams were called in to augment their effort.
Medical assistance and emergency treatment were given to the injured on the scene with ambulances prevented entry by scores of panicked locals.
Meanwhile, Casipe's remains is set to arrive in Iloilo today, Thursday.
ABS-CBN management has vowed to shoulder all the hospital and funeral expenses of all the stampede victims.