No new show for ex-‘Wowowee’ host until court ruling

MANILA, Philippines—Former “Wowowee” host Willie Revillame can rest easy for now.

A Quezon City court has given both Revillame’s lawyers and TV network ABS-CBN until Oct. 15 to submit their pleadings on the TV host’s P11.5-million damage suit against the TV network.

Judge Luisito Cortez of Regional Trial Court Branch 84 will jointly rule on pending motions filed by both camps, including ABS-CBN’s appeal for temporary restraining order against the airing of Revillame’s new shows on TV5.

The judge called the lawyers of both parties, led by Joel Bodegon from Revillame’s camp, and Miguel Silos from ABS-CBN, to his chamber after a two-hour court hearing on Friday.

After a closed-door conference, both lawyers said the court agreed to resolve all pending motions, including the petition for TRO, by the end of October.

Revillame filed the suit against ABS-CBN in August for rescission of contract after he and the network’s officials had a falling out.

Last month, the network filed a countersuit, asking the court to order the TV host to pay P426 million in damages for breach of contract and P20 million each for moral damages, exemplary damages and attorney’s fees.

ABS-CBN filed a petition for TRO in court in a bid to stop the airing of Revillame’s program on TV5 reportedly scheduled on Oct. 10.

Bodegon and Silos , however, said they were not aware of any date for the launching of Revillame’s program within the month.

Up for resolution is the petition for TRO, ABS-CBN’s motion for Revillame to produce his TV5 contract, Revillame’s omnibus motion to dismiss ABS-CBN’s P486-million damage suit, and Revillame’s motion to have his talent fee deposited in a bank account, among others.

“I will study the pleadings submitted to me by Oct. 15. Both parties have a gentleman’s agreement that no show will be launched while the court has not yet issued a ruling on the TRO and other issues,” Cortez said.

Silos said they would study the legal options available to them should Revillame launch any show with any other network while the court has not yet ruled on the pending incidents.

A motion filed by Revillame in court earlier said ABS-CBN’s TRO petition was “without basis and was premature.”

The TV host’s camp added that it failed to show that irreparable damage would be done on ABS-CBN if the injunctive relief was not granted by the court.

On the other hand, granting a TRO to the giant network would, in effect, deprive him of a means to earn a living, Revillame said.

Julie Aurelio, Phil. Daily Inquirer