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Aug 27, 2010
Former San Francisco lawyer represents TV host
Controversial television host, actor and singer Willie Revillame has filed a petition for the “judicial
confirmation” of the rescission of his contract with the network ABSCBN before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. Revillame, through his legal counsel, Leonard de Vera, formerly a practising lawyer in San Francisco, California, filed the “Judicial Confirmation of Rescission of Contract with Damages” last Aug. 20 at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 84. Last Monday, Aug. 23, the case was raffled off with Judge Luisito Cortez declared as presiding judge. In his lawsuit, Revillame asked for P11.5 million in damages from ABS-CBN: P5 million in moral damages, P5 million in exemplary damages, P1 million for lawyers’ fees and P500,000 for litigation costs.
ABS-CBN has refused to end the contract with Revilla, host of its program “Wowowee” which the network axed on July 31, pointing out that it will expire still on September 2011. Revillame’s lawyer said that they have resorted to legal means because ABS-CBN would not release Revillame and would not allow the actor to move to other networks. In his complaint, Revillame laid out 10 instances when his mother studio allegedly breached their contract, including his suspension without pay; cancellation of noontime show “Wowowee” which he used to host; relegation of his TV appearance from three hours daily to one hour weekly, and from live to pre-recorded, thereby depriving him of earnings obtained from in-house advertisements which is included in his compensation package; and placing him on probation without assured reinstatement.
Revillame also claimed that since he took an indefinite leave from his “Wowowee” chores (following his
controversial on-air outburst on May 4), the network has aired “destructive pieces” against him—a “deliberate sabotage” of his image. Bong Osorio, Corporate Communications Director of ABS-CBN, said the network wil issue an official statement as soon as they receive the copy of Revillame’s complaint. Osorio stood firm on the network’s consistent stand that “[Revillame] was the one who violated the behavioral provisions of his contract and thus has no right to have it unilaterally invalidated.”
Revillame announced that he will rescind his contract with ABS-CBN last Aug. 9 at a press conference. There, he claimed that he was supposed to return as host of “Wowowee” on July 31, as he had already met (on separate dates) with Kapamilya network president Charo Santos-Concio as well as with entertainment head Linggit Tan. However, the alleged deal did not push through. “Wowowee” ended after five years and was replaced with “Pilipinas Win na Win” which is hosted by presidential sister Kris Aquino Yap and Robin Padilla with former Wowowee hosts Mariel Rodriguez, Valerie Concepcion and Pokwang.
ABS-CBN disputed Revillame’s allegations, claiming that there never was an agreement for him to return to “Wowowee,” and that it was the TV host who wanted to go back to the show even if he was suspended until Aug. 24. Tan also said via “TV Patrol” that Revillame had a lot of demands for his supposed comeback, which indicated that he has “not changed.”