STAMPEDE: 32 persons injured as 20,000 rush ABS-CBN

gate eager to join Pera o Bayong game show

By Christina Mendez

Pera o bayong?

It was supposed to have a happy ending. Somebody would take home lots of cash and an array of appliances at the end of the day.

But the quest for fortune turned sour for about 20,000 people who tried their luck in joining ABS-CBN Channel 2's popular Pera o Bayong contest yesterday morning after at least 32 people suffered bruises and lacerations in a stampede.

The stampede is the worst in recent history, observers noted.

ABS-CBN's corporate communications director Pat Daza confirmed that at least 32 people were treated by members of the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) of the Philippine National Red Cross.

The casualty count, released at 11:30 a.m. yesterday, was expected to increase since the medical group was still treating many others in a bungalow at 34 Scout Albano street, Quezon City at press time.

Daza, however, denied unconfirmed reports that a one-year-old child and an elderly man were killed in the 7 a.m. stampede.

"The worst incident that we heard was that of a nine-year-old girl who suffered injuries on the left side of her head and an elderly woman who suffered a heart attack," Daza told The STAR in an interview. She failed to provide the victims' names.

"We took all the precautionary measures, but there were just so many unruly people who wanted to join the contest," Daza said. "We regret that this incident happened. This was not intentional."

Guards securing the bungalow, virtually turned into an "emergency field hospital," after the stampede, barred