ShareThisIt’s official. TV5 management itself announced that its highest-rating show “Willing Willie” with controversial host Willie Revillame will be off the air for two weeks starting last April 11.
The show will resume after the Holy Week break, according to the TV5 statement.
The station was quoted by Yahoo as saying that during the two weeks it will be off the air, “Willing Willie” and TV5 will dialogue with industry stakeholders to come up with appropriate guidelines to improve the show.
“TV5 will dialogue and work with the MTRCB (Movie and Television Review and Classification Board), KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas), PANA (Philippine Association of National Advertisers) and other stakeholders to come up with appropriate guidelines that will apply to all networks and the entire industry with respect to the participation or use of children in talent, game and reality shows for television,” the station said.
“TV5 will also complete the improvement of its internal guidelines and processes to achieve the same end,” it added.
TV5 said it is working with Wil Productions, Willie Revillame’s production outfit, to “improve the program and ensure that it will continue to bring fun and entertainment to its many loyal viewers.”
“Primetime Super Sine” and “Magic? Gimik!” will temporarily take over the “Willing Willie” timeslot for two weeks, it was announced.
The show and its host came under fire after a contestant, a six-year-old boy, simulated on March 12 a striptease for cash on the show, triggering criticisms and pull-out of big advertisers.
This was not the first time that Willie figure in controversies. While hosting the popular show “Wowowee” over ABS-CBN, followers of his show figured in a stampede at the Ultra Stadium in Pasig City resulting to the death of at least 70 persons.
Willie also figured in an exchange of words on television with a radio host in a sister station where ABS-CBN stood by the radio broadcaster.
Eventually, ABS-CBN replaced Willie’s show, resulting to his transfer to TV5. Willie’s show in the rival station was airing for weeks now, while he and his former home studio exchange lawsuits which are still pending in courts.
Earlier, Willie, who said he has not done any wrongdoing, himself announced that he would take leave from his top-rated variety show following the advertising pullout and government investigation into the incident.
“I will take a leave…starting today. Tomorrow, we will just show taped (old) episodes. We will be gone for two weeks…but when we come back, there will be new hope,” he told his show’s audience.
Willie has denied wrongdoing and lashed out at his critics, hinting that he is the victim of a political witch-hunt.
Government agencies, Catholic church organizations and other celebrities assailed Willie, saying he had forced the child to perform an embarrassing dance even when he was already in tears.
TV5 had stood by Willie, saying he had not humiliated or coerced the boy as his critics claim.
Revillame and TV5 said the outrage was sparked by heavily-edited scenes of the dance that were posted online to show Revillame in a bad light.
They also said other TV shows on rival channels had aired similar dance sequences involving children without complaint.
Revillame suggested he was being singled out because he campaigned for a rival candidate who lost the 2010 election to President Aquino.