Palace expects fair, speedy trial of ABS-CBN execs

Malacañang expects a speedy and fair trial following a recommendation from government prosecutors that several executives and personnel of broadcast giant ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. face criminal charges for the deaths of over 70 people in a stampede during the taping of popular television game show "Wowowee" in February.

"We look forward to a speedy and fair trial that would render justice to all parties concerned, especially the victims of this tragedy," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in a statement.

Last Thursday, Department of Justice prosecutors recommended criminal charges against 17 executives and personnel of ABS-CBN — including the show’s host Willie Revillame — for the tragedy.

However, Pasig City Rep. Robert Jaworski Jr. believes that others should also be held liable, saying it would be "unfair" to slap criminal charges only on ABS-CBN and Wowowee’s organizers.

He said Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio and other local officials who failed to provide crowd control assistance to the popular noontime show should also face charges.

"This is unfair. This is an injustice. The others have already been charged, but the people who have greater responsibilities to the country have not yet been subjected to the preliminary investigation stage," said Jaworski, son of basketball legend Robert Jaworski, also a former senator.

"It would be a brazen assault on the integrity of the country’s justice system if the local government of Pasig would ultimately be exonerated from its responsibilities in the tragic Wowowee stampede," Jaworski said in a statement issued to the media.

He argued that local officials and the Pasig police force, "should not escape (criminal liability) by washing their hands of their responsibility."

"It is the mayor’s office which should regulate this kind of activities. It also gave the permit for the event, and therefore, they have the responsibility to monitor, in coordination with the local police, to ensure the safety of the people before, during and after the event," Jaworski said.

In its report to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, the five-member panel of state prosecutors said Wowowee’s organizers failed to implement measures necessary to prevent a stampede.

They recommended charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and multiple physical injuries.

The panel also recommended a separate preliminary investigation against Eusebio and several other local and police officials for failing to provide assistance to the show’s organizers.

Gonzalez has to decide whether or not to uphold the recommendation.

ABS-CBN maintained that network officials and Wowowee’s organizers did all they could to prevent a stampede.

About 30,000 people had massed outside Philsports Arena in Pasig City to get into the Feb. 4 live broadcast of Wowowee, in which huge prizes were to be offered to the audience. But the stadium could only accommodate 17,000 people. — With Delon Porcalla