Who is Joey Papa and why is he badmouthing Batibot now?

MANILA, Philippines - When we first wrote in this section about the return of the children’s show Batibot to Philippine Television specifically TV5, we received a deluge of e-mails. Apparently, there was more on Facebook, YouTube and other social networks we neither have the time nor knowledge to access. That gave us the first indication of just how popular this show was.

Then, we got informed that some of the original members and staff of the children’s show were not happy with the article that failed to mention some important details and contributions of a lot of people involved in the success of Batibot. We waited for a request for corrections but received nothing.

Almost two weeks ago, a Joey Papa called us up on the landline quite incensed about the same article we wrote about Batibot. What have we failed to mention this time, we asked the person on the other end of the line? He said he was the owner of the Batibot title which he claimed in no uncertain terms was stolen from him by the writer Rene Villanueva (deceased) and Lyca Benitez Brown, one of the co-producers. When was this? We asked, and he replied it was when Tita Conching Sunico was in-charge of the Metropolitan Theater’s programming and he put on Batibot shows on stage. But that’s way back in the ’70s at least, we told him. Why was he complaining only now? And why did he wait for Rene to die before raising the issue?

Apparently, because of our article, he remembered his complaints in the past, how he wrote the press about it and nothing happened, how Rene called him up in 1984 to say, “Joey, pa-arbor ng Batibot mo” which he claimed were his exact words. Joey says he did not agree to give him the name, but Rene went ahead anyway and used “Batibot” for the TV show in 1985. He said he was bringing Lyca to court. He said he had the proof and was sending them to me — programs, ticket stubs, photos that showed everyone who was involved in the original Batibot shows like Tony Mabesa, Behn Cervantes, Hajji Alejandro who played Batibot, Gary Lising, Debraliz Valasote, Menggie Cobarrubias, Bibeth Orteza, Naty Crame Rogers and Boy Abunda. He would send us this proof so we would be convinced as to who owned Batibot.

We waited. In the meantime we were able to reach Lyca to settle issues regarding missing attributions in the article. We informed her of this latest issue from Joey Papa. She e-mailed us back. “As for Joey Papa’s claim that I stole the idea for Batibot from him.... I first heard about him from the late Rene Villanueva  who mentioned that Joey Papa was making this claim.  I honestly do not remember who Joey Papa is or what role he played (if any) in the project but I can categorically say that since Batibot was not my creation but the collaborative effort of many people, any claim that a single individual was responsible for the project would have to be taken with a grain of salt.”

A week later, Joey Papa informs us that he is no longer sending us the material he promised. His lawyers, he said, advised him against it right now. What then was he waiting for? A lawyer friend surmises, perhaps the best time would be when the show goes on the air and becomes the stunning success it is expected to become and he will have more to gain from a court suit that has already waited 25 years anyway. Very interesting premise. He would then have to deal with TV5 and Feny Bautista, one of the original producers of Batibot.

All we know is that all this to-do about Batibot has had some rather interesting developments. Lyca Brown e-mails us, “ …the good news is that your article prompted us to start a project to write an unexpurgated History of Batibot (from its earliest days as Sesame) so I really do want to thank you for giving us the impetus to do this.” We wonder if they would by this time need to ask permission from Papa?

What next? As they always say, Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.

(E-mail the author at [email protected].)