EDITORIAL - Mourning

A million in cash. A house and lot, a jeepney, tricycles, hundreds of thousands of pesos in consolation prizes. For many Filipinos living a hardscrabble existence, the prospect of winning any of those prizes – and being on national TV, too – would be a dream come true. From as far away as Mindoro, they started congregating outside the Ultra in Pasig as early as three days ago, wanting to make sure they would get a free entrance ticket to the first anniversary of the Wowowee noontime game show. Some came all dressed up in anticipation of pitting their talents on stage – in singing, dancing, even poetry reading – against other contestants.

Hope turned to tragedy early yesterday morning as the crowd that kept growing was told to form a line to the Ultra entrance. Details of what happened next remain vague. The only sure thing is that something triggered a stampede and people were trampled to death. As of late yesterday afternoon the official death toll stood at 79, with 200 injured and 149 others reported missing.

Even as the injured were rushed to hospitals and the dead initially laid out in rows on the street, awaiting identification, the crowd refused to leave, hoping the show would go on. Perhaps unaware of the magnitude of the tragedy, some waved and grinned at TV cameras, waiting for word that the fulfillment of their dreams would not have to be put off for another day.

And the show did go on – but only for the show’s organizers to announce that it would have to be postponed in deference to the victims of the tragedy. With all that anticipation for the prize of a lifetime, it was a wonder that the announcement did not trigger another stampede. Frustration was visible on many faces, but sobriety prevailed, and everyone filed out of the stadium in an orderly, somber manner.

Investigations have been launched to determine if anyone should be held accountable for the stampede. For now a nation can only ponder the circumstances that trigger a frenzied, deadly rush for slots in a noontime game show. For now a nation can only grieve.