ABS-CBN DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN `WILLING WILLIE` CONTROVERSY
MANILA, APRIL 16, 2011 (BULLETIN) By NEIL RAMOS (PHOTO - ABS-CBN denies accusations that it is involved in the brouhaha arising from the case of Jan Jan as alleged supposedly by Leonard de Vera (pictured lower right) counsel of embattled TV host Willie Revillame (pictured upper right)
Network giant ABS-CBN issued a statement on Wednesday decrying insinuations that it had a hand in the the ruckus that arose from six-year-old Jan-Jan Suan's controversial performance in the show "Willing Willie."
In the statement, Bong Osorio, head of ABS-CBN Corporate Communications, denounced the "incredible" allegation as a "general accusation bereft of any details and is obviously meant to divert the issue by dragging ABS-CBN's name."
"We categorically deny that ABS-CBN has anything to do with the Jan-Jan episode," the statement continued. "Records speak for itself. We are not a complainant in this case, and have not made any public statement about it," it said.
"Indeed, it is incredible that ABS-CBN, as insinuated by [Willie Revillame's counsel] Atty. Leonard De Vera, can possibly have control over the countless groups and individuals who have expressed their indignation over the issue, including Facebook, Twitter, major advertisers, government bodies, the church, academic communities, among others.
The statement marks the first time that ABS-CBN commented publicly concerning the case. Prior, various concerned bodies, celebrities and government officials have already dipped their hand in the issue, pronouncing the matter a fundamental example of "child abuse" and demanded punitive action against Revillame.
Revillame, as with his home network, TV5 has denied the charge.
In a hearing with the Movie and Television Ratings and Classification Board (MTRCB) last week, de Vera raised the issue of alleged impartiality of the Chairman and members of the Board's Hearing and Adjudication Committee, asking for voluntary inhibition of three of its members namely, Leah Navarro, Eric Mallonga and Eugenio Villareal.
The lawyer pointed out that Mallonga is the legal counsel of ABS-CBN's Bantay Bata Foundation while Villareal is married to an ABS-CBN employee.
"Everybody knows that Willie is locked in mortal combat with ABS-CBN," said he. "Navarro may not be connected with the network but she has already made negative comments on her Twitter account about Willie. She made these statements right after the incident without hearing Willie's side," he added.
In separate interviews, de Vera also criticized the involvement of Lourdes 'Honey' Carandang in the case.
It was Carandang who submitted a formal complaint concerning the matter to the Commission of Human Rights (CHR).
De Vera said that Carandang, the mother of Presidential Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang, is currently serving as a consultant and lecturer at the Lopez owned television network.
All that said, de Vera refused to directly accuse ABS-CBN of interference concerning the matter.
"I am not prepared to say that ABS-CBN is behind this. All I can give you are facts and these intriguing convergences are all fact. You draw your own conclusion but I am going to preempt your conclusion: This will not happen if there's no one behind this," he said.
"Willing Willie" is currently off the air following Revillame's self-imposed hiatus. The incident is still being investigated by a number of agencies including the MTRCB and the CHR
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