Senate panel to review laws in wake of Jan-Jan episode

Now even the Senate wants to get in on the action. Senator Pia Cayetano has cited the sizzling controversy over a boy gyrating on TV as a reason to review child protection laws. She also proposed including more respect for women in efforts to reform media. Cayetano is the chair of Senate committee on youth, women, and family relations. She singled out Davao City's ban on swimsuits in local beauty contests as an example the rest of the country should follow. "We have so many talent shows and contests where kids are made to dress and gyrate like sexy dancers thinking that it's 'cute' or 'funny.' But in gender-sensitive cities like Davao, the mayor has long banned the swimsuit portion in their annual Mutya ng Dabaw search," she said. "There's no reason why we can't adopt this example across the country and show the same respect for both women and children, not only in talent shows but also on TV, advertisements and all forms of media," she added. The gyrating boy appeared in TV5's Wiling Willie last March 12, triggering public anger that snowballed via social media campaigns and led to condemnation by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Commission on Human Rights. A hemorrhaging of advertising followed soon afterwards. "The (committee) will review existing laws to ensure that the rights of the child are observed and protected," Cayetano said in a statement released Tuesday. In a March 28 letter to TV5 chairman Manny Pangilinan, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman wrote: "It is unmistakable that what happened last 12 March 2011 to Jan-Jan Estrada was child abuse." On March 19, the Commission on Human Rights also issued a press release condemning the Willing Willie show for the episode. It began its inquiry on the incident earlier Tuesday. Senator Cayetano said that there are laws that guarantee the rights of a child, such as Republic Act No. 7610 or the "Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act" and Republic Act No. 9262 or the "Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004." She noted, however, that Congress must make sure that these laws remain applicable to various circumstances and remain relevant to the times. After the rapid withdrawal of advertising as a reaction to the public outrage aimed at his show, Revillame announced last Friday that Willing Willie will voluntarily go off-air for two weeks while he contemplates whether or not to stay in show business.— LBG/RSJ/HS, GMA News