By Yahoo! Southeast Asia Editors – October 24th, 2010
Willie Revillame is back in the tube as an official “Kapatid” artist.
Despite controversies and a staggering P486 million damage suit filed
by ABS-CBN, “Willing Willie” premiered Saturday, October 23, as TV5’s
flagship primetime variety program.
The show promises to change the way Filipinos spend their primetime
viewing. In a timeslot where news programs dominate, “Willing Willie”
aims to provide a “positive” viewing experience where families can enjoy
and bond together over dinner without the usual “negativity” of evening
news. It airs Monday to Friday, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm and Saturdays, 5:00
pm to 7:00 pm.
“Tama na ang bad news. Tama na ang napapanood nating saksakan. Tama
na ‘yong may naaksidente. Tama na ‘yong tatay ginahasa ang anak. Sa
hapag-kainan, ‘yon na ang pinapanood namin sa ilang taon. Dapat iba na,
saya at pag-asa na!,” Willie said.
Opening fiesta
The opening number was a melting pot of artists dancing to a
resounding beat, a “Mardi Gras” complete with colorful attires and
alluring women. Willing Willie Girls (WW.Girls) warmed up the stage
before Revillame’s grand entrance on stage.
Revillame’s known supporters were present in the audience. Among them
are Viva Films’ Vic del Rosario, TV5 chairman Manny Pangilinan, TV5
president and chief executive officer Atty. Ray C. Espinosa, TV5
executive vice president Bobby Barreiro, Senator Manny Villar and
Congressman Mark Villar.
Friends from the showbiz industry also showed support for Revillame.
Annabelle Rama was present with husband Eddie Gutierrez. Dr. Vicky Belo
also graced the event with Hayden Kho.
Thank you, ABS-CBN
Revillame thanked all his loyal followers and staff for standing by
his side despite the controversies that surrounded his exit from
ABS-CBN. Teary-eyed, he also took time to thank ABS-CBN chairman Gabby
Lopez and president and CEO Charo Santos-Concio for giving him the
chance to serve the Kapamilya network for five and a half years.
‘Wowowee’ with a different name?
“Willing Willie” bears many similarities with the defunct show
“Wowowee.” The program sequence, set design, female dancers and staff
are all too familiar. The line-up of games includes “123 Go,” “Shoot Mo
Baby,” “Family Apir,” “Wall of Fortune,” and “Will Time Big Time.” Some
of the terms used in the games may alarm the Movies and Television
Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). However, Willie is doing his
best not to incite trouble for his new show.
“Sana wala akong memo. Sawang-sawa na ako sa memo,” Willie said.
The only obvious difference is that Willie has no multiple female
co-hosts. The “Willing Willie Girls” served as temporary co-hosts. The
launch only revealed Mo Twister joining the pack.
The pilot show ended with 18 senior citizens winning P500,000 pesos
in the game “Will Time Big Time.” Willie Revillame said that whatever
happens, he will try his best to continue to bring happiness to
Filipinos all over the world.
TRO petition denied
The show’s airing pushed through after the Quezon City Regional Trial
Court denied an ABS-CBN petition for a temporary restraining order to
halt the pilot episode.
Judge Luisito Cortez of QC RTC Branch 84 ruled in favor of Willie
because “ABS-CBN has failed to discharge the burden of proving that
there exists an urgent need for the issuance of a TRO to prevent any
great or irreparable injury that it might suffer before the preliminary
injunction could be heard.” However in another resolution, Cortez junked
Willie’s plea to dismiss ABS-CBN’s counterclaim suit and was ordered to
post a bond amounting to P426,917,646.96 by October 27.
ABS-CBN had filed a counterclaim suit against Willie seeking a total
of P486 million in damages for breaching his talent contract with the
Kapamilya network that would have run until September 2011. This was in
response to an earlier suit filed by Willie seeking P11 million in
damages against the network for violating his contract when ABS-CBN
placed him on indefinite leave after he dared the network on-air to
dismiss fellow studio talent Jobert Sucaldito over disparaging comments
against “Wowowee” in his radio show.
In the months succeeding his exit, several replacement hosts appeared
on “Wowowee,” which was then canceled on July 31 in favor of a new
noontime program, “Pilipinas Win na Win.”
Charo’s statement
Charo, who had been a close friend of Willie through the years and
had been his ally in tumultuous controversies as host of “Wowowee,” now
showed her disgust over Willie’s actions. In an evening newscast Friday,
she expressed her sadness over the court decision denying the network’s
petition for a temporary restraining order on Willie’s new show on TV5.
In the statement she said:
“Mga Kapamilya, ang ginawa po ni Willie ay isang paglabag sa kanyang
kontratang pinirmahan sa ABS-CBN na magtatapos pa sa isang taon. Ang
hangarin lang namin ay tuparin sana ni Willie ang kanyang obligasyon sa
kanyang kontrata. Hindi po ba mahalaga na ipinaiiral natin ang paggalang
sa mga kontrata?
“Kaya po nalulungkot kami na hindi nabigyan ng TRO ang ABS-CBN laban kay Willie Revillame.
“Huwag sana natin kalimutan na ang lahat ng ito ay nag-ugat sa walang
galang niyang paghamon at pagbabanta sa ABS-CBN management.
“Naniniwala kami na mananaig ang katarungan at ang buong katotohanan. Patuloy namin ipaglalaban ang aming karapatan.”
Photo courtesy of TV5
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