TV host Willie Revillame and top officials of TV5 have been sued for child abuse by rights advocates on Monday in connection with a crying boy who was made to dance suggestively and was given P10,000 on “Willing Willie” last March 12.Six people, including officials of the End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT), filed the complaint with the Quezon City Fiscal’s Office on Monday.
The complaint named Revillame, TV5 chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, and some officials of the broadcast company as respondents.
“The depiction of the child in such a sexualized fashion is tantamount to abuse and exploitation,” according to the complaint sheet.
“The degrading exhibition is compounded by the cruelty of the show's main host, mocking his [boy’s] appearance amidst the laughter of the jeering crowd,” it added.
The complainants, who belong to the group Stop Child Rights Exploitation in Media, accused Revillame and TV5 officials of violating several laws such as Republic Act (RA) 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Axploitation, and Discrimination Act; RA 9775 or the Act Defining the Crime of Child Pornography; and RA 9231 or An Act Eliminating the Worst Forms of Child Labor.
“We cannot allow these laws to be trampled upon. This merits collective action from those who have been fighting for children's rights for a long time now,” said Jean Enriquez, executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific.
TV5 declined to comment on the case on Monday as it has yet to receive a copy of the complaint, according to the company’s public relations consultant, Peachy Guioguio, who quoted TV5 legal department head Atty. Christine Ona.
Jay Montelibano, TV5 business unit head, insisted, meanwhile, that neither child abuse nor child exploitation happened in the show.
He said they are ready to defend their position before the courts.
The complainants stressed that they are not connected with any media company.
“We do want to be involved by the competition of TV networks, we are only concerned about the welfare of our children,” ECPAT president Amihan Abueva said.
The case is set to be raffled off to a Quezon City judge's sala on Thursday
Source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
