First, the much-awaited official statement from ABS-CBN, issued yesterday after (closed-door?) meeting among Wowowee host Willie Revillame and ABS-CBN big bosses Gabby Lopez and Charo Santos-Concio. But, of course, Funfare’s VDPA (Very Deep Penetration Agent was there, so invisible that the three didn’t see “it”, hehehehe!).
Statement on Meeting Between ABS-CBN and Willie Revillame:
ABS-CBN management and Willie Revillame pushed through with their scheduled talk yesterday afternoon (Monday, May 24).
Willie has realized his mistake and apologized to ABS-CBN management for his outburst on air in Wowowee on May 4, 2010, and his failure to report to work since May 5, 2010.
ABS-CBN management has accepted Willie’s apology.
ABS-CBN and Willie agreed that he takes (sic) an indefinite break effective immediately, but his contract obligations with ABS-CBN hold. This disallows him to perform similar work for any person or entity in direct competition with ABS-CBN.
At some point, ABS-CBN management and Willie will discuss what will be in the best interest of the viewing public.
Meanwhile, Wowowee will continue to provide entertainment and inspiration to Filipinos worldwide.
The statement came from Bong R. Osorio, head of ABS-CBN Corporate Communications who writes a Sunday column for The STAR’s Life section.
In his letter to ABS-CBN, a copy of which was given to Funfare for exclusive publication a few days ago by this corner’s VDPA (yes, the Very Deep Penetration Agent), Willie asked ABS-CBN management to release him from his contract which is still good for one year and a half. He cited “health reasons,” although what made Willie leave Wowowee in a huff was his accusation against Jobert Sucaldito who, according to Willie, has been hitting him for almost a year on Jobert’s program on dzMM, ABS-CBN’s sister company. But Jobert insisted that he wouldn’t apologize. On camera, Willie said that if management wouldn’t fire Jobert, he would quit Wowowee. He has proven true to his “promise.”
Robin Padilla has taken over as temporary host for two weeks.
Let me print excerpts from Willie’s very controversial letter in which he thanked Gabby Lopez (ABS-CBN chairman/CEO), Charo Santos-Concio (ABS-CBN president), Johnny Manahan (head of the network’s Star Magic), Cory Vidanes (head of Entertainment TV), as well as second-in-rank execs Linggit Tan and Jay Montelibano and Wowowee director Edgar Mortiz “sa pagtitiwala sa aking kakayanan na magbigay ng mahusay na program.” And also, “higit sa lahat, sa lahat ng mga taong sumuporta at patuloy na sumusuporta sa show...maraming salamat at kayo ang nagbibigay sa akin ng lakas na gawin an g dapat kong gawin...”
Willie addressed the letter to Gabby through Charo.
Quote-unquote:
I have labored over the past week on what to do in the face of another setback in my relations with the management of the network. ABS-CBN has been my home for the last five years and five months and it has given me the greatest gift — the opportunity to reach out to people who have so little in life...
...My devotion to the show is unparalleled that I have been even besieged by health problems due to the long hours I spend daily, thinking of how to bring Wowowee closer to the public. In fact, I have developed a heart blockage, which has already once posed a real threat to my life. I have sacrificed so much. Now, I have to accept the reality that I also have to take good care of my health...
Willie ended his letter with apology: Taos-puso akong humihingi sa inyo ng tawad at lubos na pang-unawa sa lahat ng pinagdadaanan ko ngayon. There will never be enough words to express my gratitude to all of you.
I must seriously take another Funfare VDPA’s input: “Do you know how much Wowowee is earning? P300-M a month, broken down to a staggering P10-M a day, with a million of it, more or less, going to Willie. The P300-M includes only the ‘legit’ commercials and not the ‘casual’ ones.” (Big money, that! I must also mention the fact that Willie is a good tax-payer, one of the Top 3 among showbiz guys.)
I knew that ABS-CBN management would at once accept Willie’s apology and let him take a much-needed “rest” from Wowowee when I tuned in to the network’s early-evening newscast TV Patrol World which aired a rather unflattering feature on Willie at presumably the same time Gabby, Charo and Willie were trying to sort things out at that (closed-door?) three-hour meeting which lasted from 5 to 8 p.m., enumerating Willie’s “sins” (the ULTRA stampede, the Wilyonaryo fiasco, etc.) and branding Willie as “the bad boy of Philippine television.”
Not to be outdone, at about the same time, dzMM anchors were reading text messages against Willie, which was very ironic indeed because that’s exactly what Willie was complaining against in the first place — somebody (yes, Jobert) who he said was “hitting” him when, being both talents of one network, he said such things shouldn’t be done.
Funfare has been trying to contact Willie but he has remained “in seclusion” (he “cannot be reached”) while ABS-CBN big bosses, including Charo, have opted to have their lips sealed, not making any comment besides and beyond what’s in the “official statement.”
But Funfare’s VDPA (yes, yes, the Very Deep Penetration Agent) has something to say but I’d rather capsulize the VDPA’s words in three short guesses:
l. ABS-CBN will continue to look for a replacement for Willie until it finds a permanent one;
2. ABS-CBN will reformat the show (since, I agree with observers, “Wowowee is Willie and Willie is Wowowee,” not the same without each other); or
3. ABS-CBN will scrap Wowowee altogether and replace it with a new one (or let the pre-programming Showtime take its place).
But wait, there’s hope for a “reconciliation.” As the “official statement” mentioned, “ABS-CBN management and Willie will discuss what will be in the best interest of the viewing public.”
Keep your fingers crossed, Willie/Wowowee diehards!
(Postscript: Willie, please text back or lift the phone. Break your silence. Magparamdam ka naman! Same “appeal” to Madame Charo!)
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)