How will the
probe on Ultra end?

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Managing Editor ANTONIETA B. LOPEZ Business Editor ODETTE MONTELIBANO Desk Editor MARY ANN BARCELONA Advertising Coordinator RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete

ANDRES R. LEONARDIA Managing Director

Now that the bodies have been counted, with some not yet identified, we will be hearing statements, both of sympathy and denunciation from our political leaders who will make sure they get some publicity for future use by their present concern. We in the media cannot begrudge them that, as our own opinion writers will also be having their own field day analyzing the incident, pointing to those they believe to be blamed, with some, in typical know-it-all manner, telling everyone what should have been done, naturally, in hindsight.

Expect pictures of officials looking appropriately mournful, condoling with the bereaved families, promising monetary and other assistance, as they move from one funeral home to another in the next few days. We know these will take place, as we have seen them do so many times before. So let's leave them to it, for the meantime.

What those of us who are shocked and saddened by the tragedy at the Philsport Arena, or Ultra, would like to see happen now is a thorough, honest-to-goodness probe, an unrelenting one that will ferret out those responsible, and liable for the death of so many people - 79 at last count - who not only lost their hopes of gaining something to ease their poverty by participating in the Ultra program, but also their lives. We are not saying that we believe somebody or some people had directly caused the accident. What is obvious is that there was negligence on the part of those who were supposed to secure the area and provide measures to admit only the number of people that could be accommodated, and who, when the stampede was about to occur, had the authority to exert even the minimum of control.

Now that this tragedy has happened, let it not be like so many others in the past that had been forgotten and, until now have not reached closure. It is not enough that the program host has said, tearfully, that "Nobody wanted it to happen". Why nothing had been done to stop it from happening is what we want to know. And soon.*