#CloseUpForeverSummer – Damage control mode and media blackout
In an apparent attempt to engage in damage control, Close Up Philippines issued a statement expressing sympathy for the families of the five individuals who died during or immediately after the #CloseUpForeverSummer rave party that took place Saturday night and lasted until Sunday dawn.
The company also said it is committed to providing financial support for them and that they will cooperate in the ongoing police investigations. The cause of death is still being investigated, although it has been widely reported that it can be due to “green amore,” an illegal drug that is made from a combination of shabu (methamphetamine) and ecstasy.
The company nevertheless insists that they “put in place very stringent measures and precautions for the safety and security of all event attendees.” This claim is hard to believe. If what they’re saying is true, then they should have been able to apprehend those individuals that brought with them the illegal substances the moment they tried to enter the concert grounds.
And also, why is it that no one among the organizers were tipped off on the suspicious activities happening while the concert is going on? It’s impossible that no one noticed the distribution of drugs at all.
An announcement from the Closeup Forever Summer organizers. pic.twitter.com/cE7G1P4ot9
— Closeup Philippines (@CloseupPH) May 22, 2016
The death of five persons during what is supposed to be a music event is alarming in itself. However, the bigger picture should not be lost on us, and that is the sickening reality that powerful Chinese, Mexican, and West African drug syndicates are now freely doing business on our shores.
So far, the media has been reporting about the incident although the specifics were often not mentioned (e.g. that the event was organized by CloseUp toothpaste). This shouldn’t really be surprising because Close Up toothpaste is owned by Unilever, a multinational company that spends a lot on advertising.
If print and broadcast media outlets produce hard-hitting reports about the negligence of Unilever in handling the event, then they can potentially lose millions in advertising revenues each day. Will the media not let this issue die from the public’s consciousness, especially given that it centers on the lingering problem of drug abuse in the country? We’ll have to wait and see.
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