TV-5 wants judge in 'Willing Willie' copyright case barred for bias

The owner of TV-5 network has asked the Court of Appeals to prevent a trial court judge from hearing ABS-CBN's copyright infringement suit against host Willie Revillame. In a petition filed December 6, ABC Development Corporation and its president Ray Espinosa asked the appellate court to issue a temporary restraining order and a writ of preliminary injunction to prevent Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 66 Presiding Judge Jose Villarosa from hearing the case because of his alleged bias for ABS-CBN. On December 2, Villarosa denied the TV-5's motion that had sought to defer the trial court's proceedings on ABS-CBN's bid to stop the airing of "Willing Willie," which Revillame hosts on TV-5. TV-5 complained, however, that, "[The] refusal or inability of Villarosa to state the reasons for the denial is clearly because he has no basis either in law or reason. Villarosa not only exhibited grave abuse of discretion, amounting to lack of jurisdiction, but has displayed his utter bias to favor respondent ABS-CBN." Last November, ABS-CBN filed a P127-million copyright infringement suit against Revillame, TV-5, and the host's production outfit, WilProductions, Inc. ABS-CBN said Revillame's show "Willing Willie" infringed on ABS-CBN's copyright over the now defunct "Wowowee" because of striking similarities shared by the two shows. – MRT/JV, GMANews.TV.