rarely do i get upset about the things happening in society, the government and how the majority of the people (read: the masses) think. what's much more rare is that i let my sentiments about it be posted here. looking back, the last thing that i found really, really, really stupid about people going crazily mad about something that really makes no sense getting that much attention is the ad about the whiskey being compared to a 15-year old girl (where the ad reads, "have you tasted a 15-year old lately?" in filipino). frankly speaking, i don't see any connection whatsoever between that brand of whiskey and molesting a young girl. and yet these so-called "moralists" cried foul saying it insinuates child prostitution. i mean, WHAT???!!! only perverts think that. so putting two and two together, these "moralists" are the ones who have perverted minds. but anyway, that's another story.

the other thing i'm stark raving mad about is how the investigation is being done on the aftermath of the stampede that happened last weekend over a noontime show's first anniversary celebration. as early as now, pardon me for posting the next sentence is all caps because i just want to make one point very, very clear: THERE IS NO ONE TO BLAME, NOR SOMEONE SHOULDN'T BE CRIMINALLY CHARGED FOR WHAT HAPPENED LAST SATURDAY. no, i'm not defending the network (abs-cbn), nor i'm siding with them. quite frankly, i watch the other noontime show on the other network, most specifically, a certain portion where knock-knock jokes are blown out of proportion (it always gets a kick out of me for some reason). but i'm just looking at the bigger picture. does the word "accident" even exist anymore? nowadays, when someone from the authorities say that when a certain "tragedy" or "accident" happens, what always comes next is, "someone will be held liable." so what if 30,000 people want to come and see if they are lucky enough to win the prizes up for grabs? it's their freedom and right to do so. yet the relatives of those who died are still thinking of pressing charges?! it's not the organizers' fault, nor was it the network's. whatever the preparations the network and program organizers had to contain the crowd had already been put in place. they got a venue they think was applicable for such an event and form what i understand, is the only one available at that time to accommodate a big crowd. it's not the network's fault that they didn't anticipate a bigger number of people waiting in line to get in. whatever "contingency plan" the investigators are pursuing should have been implemented is already mute at that point because whatever was in place was what had been planned. going back to what i said earlier, they did not know that there was a much bigger number of people, more that what they had expected to arrive for the show. it was an accident (pure and simple) waiting to happen. not that i'm also saying that it was the fault of the people who went there, but merely, a lack of common sense. the crowd was already told that it cannot accommodate everyone into the venue, yet these people, instead of going home and calling it a day, still insisted on getting in. with that in mind, let me say it again: IT WAS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.

the network's big boss already claimed full responsibility for the incident and vowed assistance and help to the families of the victims. which i think is and should be enough. period. there's already no need in forming these "panels" or "investigating bodies" or "task forces" to "get those responsible and put them to justice." it's just a big waste of time and resources. and just this morning, i read in the paper that the people who were at the venue were "treated like animals" by the organizers, especially those who camped out for days before the show. WHAT THE HELL?!?! should the network also be responsible for the food and lodging of it's viewers who want to get in and therefore slept outside? again, those who went there early are responsible for looking out for themselves in the first place. it's what is called "personal responsibility." you go there, you take care of yourself and don't ask (read: beg) for food or money and all the more you shouldn't blame the organizers for not providing you with such. on the same newspaper, i also read that the government is considering cancelling the license to operate of the network because of what happened. WHAT THE F**K?!?!? just because of one accident, does that tantamount to closure?? look at the network's reputation. how many accidents have they had regarding the same scenario? none, right? the network have worked long and hard to build it's reputation for being the country's biggest network through blood, sweat and tears, and now just because of one accident, and that's it, bye bye network? people in government have a really f**ked up way of thinking.

i admire the show's host, mr. willie revillame for what he said in an interview hours after what happened. as we all know, the entertainment industry here in the philippines is contained to abs-cbn channel 2 versus gma 7. and it's no secret that both stations have slugged it out for years for ratings supreme. one would sometimes manage to topple the other and vice versa in methods unimaginable for the common televiewer. yet mr. revillame, in all humility asked and pleaded that for once, these two network giants help one another in providing assistance to the victims of the stampede. that for once, let them forget the ratings war and work together since they have the same interest–which is to provide quality entertainment for the people. now that's a class act by someone who i didn't really like before. but knowing the history of these two networks, i'm closely watching the actions of the other network and trying to see if they are, in one form or another, trying to take advantage of the other's misfortune by either saying that they're the better, more people-friendly network or influence people in government or the authorities to bring down abs-cbn. believe me, if they do, then gma 7 would have sunk beneath the depths of the lowest of the low. again, i'm partial between these two since i watch shows on both. it's just interesting to see what they will do in this situation.

i said it once, i said it twice, and i'll repeat it once more. there's no one to blame in this incident. it is a tragedy, yes. and yes, there will be lessons learned from this. but to accuse the show's organizers and the network bosses for being irresponsible for a natural event (read: mob mentality) which i know and believe that they have done anything and everything to control and contain the people wanting to get in to enjoy for two or three hours on a weekend, is really, really, really absurd, uncalled for, pathetic, stupid, a big waste, silly, it shows incompetence and lack of common sence in people in government and the authorities, and is just plain sick. what really needs to be done is to help out the families of the victims, to make sure they're given everything they need to start over and move on. and maybe, just maybe, to define the word "accident" as it really is.