Willie Revillame says he may just leave show

The case of the “grossly unethical conduct” of “Wowowee” host Willie Revillame during the show’s Aug. 3 episode was the subject of an adjudication committee hearing at the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board offices in Quezon City on Thursday afternoon.

MTRCB chief Marissa Laguardia said Revillame and ABS-CBN, which produces and airs “Wowowee,” were asked to present evidence in their defense against the charge of violating Section 3c of PD 1986, for “being objectionable and contrary to ... customs and traditions paying respect to the dead.”

The complaint stemmed from Revillame’s objection to the insertion of videos of the late President Corazon Aquino’s cortege on the show. In a memorandum sent to the network on Aug. 11, Laguardia described Revillame’s behavior as a show of “arrogance and great disrespect to Filipino culture.” She said the TV host also violated the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas’ code of ethics.

The three-member adjudication board was chaired by lawyer Sonny Cases. Lawyers Mona Manalo and Cherry Cruz represented ABS-CBN. Revillame’s legal counsel Armando Marcelo attended on his behalf.

Another hearing has been set for Aug. 20.

Crucial hearing

Cases vowed to be “fair in resolving this case.” He said the show may be suspended or canceled, and if criminal liability is determined, “the guilty party” faces up to six years in prison. “Next week’s hearing is crucial,” said Cases.

Revillame is still on “indefinite” leave from the daily show even if Kris Aquino, in an interview on Monday on the late-night show biz program “SNN,” said her family has accepted Revillame’s apology.

Many viewers are apparently not as forgiving. At press time, 48,165 have signed an online petition seeking to ban Revillame from show biz. Revillame said he may just leave the show. “Even if I have the support of the network and the advertisers, kung ayaw na ng tao sa akin, what’s the use?”

Laguardia noted that another case has been filed against the TV host before the KBP. She said that, in a letter addressed to KBP president Herman Basbano, Arlene de Guzman-Ronquillo accused Revillame of “psychological violence” on account of some careless remarks

In October 2008, Ronquillo said, Revillame told a contestant: “May kaibigan ako gustong makipagkilala sa iyo ... binata daw siya ... si Raymond Ronquillo.” Raymond and Arlene are married, with children aged 12, 11 and 3.

Arlene said Revillame repeated the remark in March 2009 and that last July 28, Revillame said one of the dancers was Raymond’s ex-girlfriend.

Revillame told Inquirer that this case is already with his lawyers. “Raymond told me he had long split up with his wife,” he said. “They obviously have unsettled issues.”[Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer]

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