Palace: Producers of Willie’s show not yet off the hook despite ‘suspension’

Despite volunteering to go off the air for two weeks over a controversy involving a six-year-old boy’s “macho dancing," the producers of the game show “Willing Willie" are still not off the hook, Malacañang said. In an interview on government-run dzRB radio, deputy spokeswoman Abigail Valte said the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) is still investigating the case, and its eventual findings should be respected. “From what I understand, the suspension was voluntary on the part of the network or the producers. But hindi yan nasa MTRCB na yan, meron silang sariling investigation. Nararapat na respetuhin natin ang magiging resulta ng kanilang investigation, lalo naging voluntary ang naging pasya. Self-suspension ang nangyari at hindi inatas ng MTRCB," she said. (From what I understand, the suspension was voluntary on the part of the network or the producers, that is with the MTRCB, it has its own investigation. We should respect whatever will be the result of their investigation, especially their decision. What happened was self-suspension that wasn't imposed by MTRCB.) Last weekend, “Willing Willie" announced it would go off the air for two weeks, and would broadcast previously-taped episodes aired in the meantime. Allegations of "child abuse" arose after the March 12 episode of the program showed a crying six-year-old boy appeared to be prodded by Revillame to gyrate like a macho dancer in exchange for P10,000. Some government officials, including Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Soliman and Commission on Human Rights Chairwoman Loretta Ann Rosales, have condemned the incident. Valte also said the Palace will defer to Soliman in speaking on the issue. “Siguro (Perhaps) we’ll let Sec. Soliman take the lead on this primarily," she said. Valte said the MTRCB’s job is to look into whether standards were violated while the DSWD’s is to look into possible child abuse. “Hindi naman massamang ginagawa ng institution na ito ang kanilang mandato. Sana wala nang bahid pulitika (There is nothing wrong with these agencies doing their jobs. I hope no one injects political color into all this)," she said. "Villar connection" Meanwhile, Valte laughed off suggestions that the Palace is going after the show's host because Revillame had supported the failed presidential bid of Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. last year. Villar had been a close rival of President Benigno SiAquino III in last year’s presidential race. “Siguro sa dami ng kailangan natin ayusin di natin iisipin pang mamulitika (With the many things we have to do, we have no time to think of politicking)," Valte said. In a press release posted on Thursday last week on TV5’s website, the network’s lawyers challenged the jurisdiction of the MTRCB over the subject matter of the complaint against their client because it involved “a direct accusation of alleged acts of child abuse, which is criminal in nature." The statement said “the creation and composition of the present panel do not afford TV5 due process, particularly its right to be heard by an impartial tribunal, considering that all 3 panel members are conflicted as they have close links or relationships with a rival network involved in legal cases with TV5 and Willie Revillame." The MTRCB chairperson explained: “The change in the composition of the Committee is to assure the public that the Board will only be guided by established facts and the law in the disposition of this case. This is also to avoid any attempt to further delay the expeditious resolution of the case." – VVP, GMA News