“Wowowee” star Willie Revillame faces child abuse charge for on-air antics

Willie
“Wowowee” Start Willie Revillame Ordered Arrested Over Child Abuse Case in Quezon City – file photo from ABS-CBN – www.plnmedia.com

The Court of Appeals has given the ‘green-light’ to arrest and prosecute television host Willie Revillame.

Willie, as everyone calls him, is being charged with child abuse and child exploitation for a stint on his old-time show “Wowowee”.

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The case involves a six-year-old boy who performed gyrating moves in a March 2011 episode of the now defunct “Willing Willie”.

The boy was asked to repeat his dance moves over and over, and if done, was offered 10,000 pesos to keep performing – Willie even tried to imitate the boy’s move and at one point raised the boy on a hydraulic platform while the house shouted “Beer pa”.

At one point in the show, the boy appears to be crying while performing the dance moves.

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The Department of Social Welfare and Development filed a complaint against Willie Revillame for violation of Republic act 7610 (the Anti-Child Abuse Law) before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s office, which later filed a case in the regional court.

Part of the decision said, “There is probable cause for the petitioner’s commission of a crime, his arrest and arraignment should now ensue so that this case may properly proceed to trial where the merits of both parties’ evidence and allegations may be weighed. The case had long been delayed because of the petitioner’s refusal to submit to the trial court’s jurisdiction and erroneous invocation of the rules in his favor.”

The court noted that the lower court followed the rules and evaluated the evidence circumstances presented before them – finding probably cause to order Willie’s arrest.

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Willie’s lawyers filed a motion to reconsider before the lower court, but the court denied the consideration in October, 2013.

The court said Revillame’s argument that he has no intention of violating the law should be best thrashed out during trial.

 

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