ShareThisQUEZON CITY — A new controversy is hounding television host Willie Revillame.
This involves alleged child abuse for the episode with a six-year-old boy contestant.
Acting on numerous complaints, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has referred the child abuse case currently hounding Revillame, actor and host of the game-show “Willing Willie” to the Hearing and Adjudication Committee “for appropriate disposition.”
The complaint stemmed from the March 12, 2011 episode of the show aired over TV5 “where a six-year old boy contestant was shown to be gyrating and impersonating the body movements of a macho dancer.”
In its website (http://mtrcb.gov.ph/2011/03/briefer-on-willing-willie/), MTRCB chairperson Mary Grace Poe Llamanzares said this new case leveled at Revillame is in “accordance with the Board’s duty to enforce the Constitutional mandate that the State shall defend the rights of children from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to their development.”
She reminded other networks who employ children to take extra steps to ensure that their rights are fully protected against any form of abuse.
“The Board further emphasizes that whenever children are featured in television programs, producers are mandated to observe legal standards stipulated in R.A. 7610 to avoid “psychological abuse xxx cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment” and “any act by deeds and words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of the child,” Llamanzares said.
Revillame and his producers apologized for the particular segment featuring Jan-Jan Suan that viewers may have found offensive or in bad taste.
“We wish to stress that there was never any intention to humiliate or abuse Jan-Jan or any contestant on the show,” they said in a statement.
“Like most contestants on the show, Jan-Jan, accompanied by his aunt, joined the program to showcase his talent and play in a game segment in the hope of bringing home big prizes,” they added.
The statement said Jan-Jan has performed in the past in school programs and mall contest with the same talent he showcased on “Willing Willie.”
It added that Jan-Jan was on tears during the talent portion, not because he was forced to dance, but because he was intimidated by basketball player Bonel Balingit.
“Again, TV5 and Wil Productions express profound regret for any insensitivity on their part, and wish to thank all those who have expressed concern. We are always grateful to be reminded of our obligations to the viewing public,” they said.
“In turn, we hope to make clear that the objective of the show has always been to bring joy and hope to Filipinos, whether they are participating in the show or viewing at home,” they said.
Aside from TV5’s official statement, Jan-Jan and his whole family also guested on the Monday night episode of the program.
His father Jojo Estrada cleared that it was his son’s decision to perform the sexy dance on the game show and they are very much aware of what was being said on the Internet.
“Kagustuhan ng anak ko yun. Yun ang pagkaalam niya ay maganda ang ginagawa niya. Maraming nagsasabi sa akin na magaling ang anak ko,” Estrada noted.