Oust Willie Revillame movement: Wowowee host to be suspended for 3 weeks

It may be too early to announce or celebrate it, but the movement to oust Wowowee host Willie Revillame on the internet may have gained ground.

In the past, the Management of ABS-CBN has acted swiftly and decisively on cases involving the misdemeanor of Willie Revillame. The corporate image of ABS-CBN, after all, is now global and a lot is at stake, particularly the number of TFC subscribers who may have been offended by Willie's actions.

In this case, it wouldn't be a remote possibility that ABS-CBN will suspend Wowowee for three weeks. If Willie Revillame earns P1 Million a day, that probably will mean a personal loss of P21 Million for Revillame. I don't know how much money ABS-CBN will lose from not showing Revillame but they may be thinking of the repercussions of not punishing Willie Revillame for his behaviour -- not the least of which may be a sudden drop in TFC subscribers or a pull-out of ads from Wowowee as well as other top rating shows.

The Lopezes have a debt of gratitude to pay to Cory Aquino and her family, not the least of which is their return to power or at least, their return to the realm of really big business.

Right now, the Oust Willie Revillame petition has reached 20,329 signatures and while I admire the effort that everyone has put in, I think it is the rightness of the cause rather than the numbers that have made an impact.

The movement to oust Willie Revillame, I think, goes beyond one man's petition or one blog. I think or at least hope that it is a sign that our people are coming to their senses, maybe Cory Aquino's death has shocked a lot of people back into life and put them back in touch with a collective conscience. Thank you Cory, if that is the case.

In an interview with GMA News:

MTRCB chair Consoliza Laguardia said Revillame also violated Sec. 3 of Presidential Decree 1986.

"Yung personal kong tingin objectionable ‘yung ginawa ni Willie kasi pwede niyang ginawa ung offcam. He violated the broadcast code of ethics of KBP (Kapisanan ng Brodkaster ng Pilipinas) and then sa part ng MTRCB, Sec. 3 of PD 1986 ‘yung being objectionable and contrary to good customs and tradition," Laguardia said.

Presidential Decree 1986 was issued on October 5, 1985 by President Marcos and it is little ironic this law crafted under an authoritarian regime should be used to chastise Revillame for disrespecting our icon of Democracy, Cory Aquino.

Section 3 decribes the powers and functions of the Mover and Television Review AND Classification Board.

Here are the relevant sub-sections of section 3:

c) To approve or disapprove, delete objectionable portions from and/or prohibit the importation, exportation, production, copying, distribution, sale, lease, exhibition and/or television broadcast of the motion pictures, television programs and publicity materials subject of the preceding paragraph, which, in the judgment of the board applying contemporary Filipino cultural values as standard, are objectionable for being immoral, indecent, contrary to law and/or good customs, injurious to the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines or its people, or with a dangerous tendency to encourage the commission of violence or of wrong or crime, such as but not limited to:

i) Those which tend to incite subversion, insurrection, rebellion or sedition against the State, or otherwise threaten the economic and/or political stability of the State;

ii) Those which tend to undermine the faith and confidence of the people in their government and/or the duly constituted authorities;lawphil.net

iii) Those which glorify criminals or condone crimes;

iv) Those which serve no other purpose but to satisfy the market for violence or pornography;

v) Those which tend to abet the traffic in and use of prohibited drugs;

vi) Those which are libelous or defamatory to the good name and reputation of any person, whether living or dead; and

vii) Those which may constitute contempt of court or of any quasi-judicial tribunal, or pertain to matter which are sub-judice in nature.

h) To cause the prosecution, on behalf of the People of the Philippines, of violators of this Act, of anti-trust, obscenity, censorship and other laws pertinent to the movie and television industry;

Just now, I tried looking up the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas Broadcast Standards and here are some of the relevant provisions.

Article 17. QUIZ SHOWS, CONTESTS, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROGRAMS AND PROMOTIONS

Sec.1. Contests and promotions shall be conducted with fairness and shall comply with all pertinent government laws, rules and regulations and the provisions of this Code. Contests and promotions shall not unduly exploit the audience or participants.(S)

Sec. 2. All contest details including rules, eligibility requirements, opening and termination dates shall be completely and clearly announced at least three (3) days before the contest. The winners' names shall be announced and the prizes awarded as soon as possible after the contest. (S)

Sec. 3. Public or audience participation programs shall not ridicule, diminish or demean the dignity of an individual participating in such programs. (G)

Sec. 4. Performers in programs shall always observe decency and proper decorum. (S)

Article 20. CULTURE AND TRADITION

Sec.1 . Traditional Filipino family values such as family unity, mutual respect, trust, helpfulness, and affection shall be upheld. ( A)

Sec.2. The mores, culture, traditions, and characteristics of people must be respected. Maliciously ridiculing, denigrating or disparaging culture, customs and traditions are prohibited.( G )

Article 27. ON-AIR LANGUAGE

Sec. 1. Vulgar, obscene, or indecent language is prohibited.(G)

Sec. 2. Language tending to incite violence, sedition or rebellion is prohibited. (G)

Sec. 3. Name-calling and personal insults are prohibited.(G)

Article 28. ON-AIR DECORUM

Sec.1. Persons who appear in entertainment and varietyprograms (such as hosts, emcees, talents, guests, participants, and audiences), especially in live shows, shall be decently attired and behave in a way that is considered appropriate in public based on the standards of the community where the programs are aired. ( S )

Sec.2. Persons who appear in live programs, variety shows, game shows and other similar programs shall not be embarrassed, insulted, ridiculed, harassed or humiliated in whatever manner. (G)

Sec. 3. Camera and other production techniques should not be used to create indecent and inappropriate images. (G)

Violation of Article 28 Section 1 of the KBP standards code is described as a Serious Offense and the following penalties are prescribed.