PASAY CITY – Toothpaste brand Closeup has released a statement on their Facebook page regarding the reported incidents of casualties from the Closeup Forever Summer concert held at Mall of Asia Concert Grounds on Saturday.
“Closeup and its organizing agency, Activations Advertising, and staging agency, Eventscape, are deeply saddened by the events that transpired on the early hours of May 22, 2016.”
The brand insists that they have imposed strict policies to avoid such incidents, “we regret that despite the very stringent measures and precautions we have put in place to ensure the safety and security of all attendees involved, this incident still transpired. As such, strict protocols were followed to immediately provide medical assistance, as well as rush all those involved to the nearest hospital where they can receive emergency care.”
Closeup has committed to provide support for the victims who passed away and those who are still undergoing medical treatment.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those who’ve passed away, and commit support in their time of bereavement. Likewise, our efforts are now focused on supporting those needing medical assistance so they may fully recover.
We are fully cooperating with the authorities in the ongoing police investigations.”
In an incident report released by the Southern Police District as tweeted by CNN Philippines on Sunday, five of the more or less 14,000 attendees of the Closeup Forever Summer Concert were rushed to two different hospitals after they collapsed during the height of the concert.
Based on the report, the victims were identified as the following:
Ariel Leal, 22
Lance Garcia, 36
Bianca Fontejon, 18
Eric Anthony Miller, 33
Ken Migawa, 18
Leal, Garcia, and Migawa died while receiving treatment at San Juan de Dios Hospital while Fontejon and Miller were declared dead at the Manila Doctors Hospital.
Incident report of the Southern Police District on the concert in Pasay | @selina_dagdag pic.twitter.com/0Uss8h19N9
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) May 22, 2016
The report is yet to state a probable cause of the deaths but reports from the attendees circulating around social media point to alleged illegal drug use by the concert goers. Other reports are saying that certain free drinks given away during the concert were allegedly laced with prohibited drugs.
The authorities are still conducting further investigations and possible autopsy of the bodies of the casualties to trace the root of the tragic incident.
