Compañero y Compañera spirit back on air with CIA with BA

Caption: Senators Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano continue the proud legacy of Compañero y Compañera, the popular on-air legal advice program which was hosted by their father, Sen. Rene Cayetano. The siblings and I aim to empower our guests and the audience to take full advantage of the laws and government programs that already exist.

Sometimes public service programs are born out of weak, ineffective institutions. When people have low trust in the police, the court system, or government services, they flock to charitable organizations and, yes, public service programs to obtain the services government is unable to provide.

So wouldn’t it be interesting to turn that idea on its head and create a public service program that’s all about what the government can and can’t do to fix people’s problems?

That’s the core mission of CIA with BA — short for Cayetano in Action with Boy Abunda. I will be joining forces with Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano to provide legal advice and help Filipinos, who lack access to professional legal services.

Instead of acting as some sort of genie on TV exacting justice on messy personal issues, the siblings and I aim to empower our guests and the audience to take full advantage of the laws and government programs that already exist.

People of a certain age might vividly recall the popular on-air legal advice program, Compañero y Compañera, which was hosted by the late great Sen. Rene Cayetano, the father of Senators Alan Peter and Pia. One could say that public service runs in the Cayetano family, and CIA with BA is an apt extension of that proud legacy. The brother-and-sister tandem is bringing the Compañero y Compañera spirit back on air with this new public service program, which will be airing its pilot episode on Sunday at 11:30 p.m. on GMA 7.

The program, to be recorded in front of a live studio audience, begins with the segment Payong Kapatid, where we will hear the consulting parties, assess their issue, and provide counsel. The siblings will then help the two arguing parties reach a settlement in the Case 2 Face segment in a courtroom setup, where we will also be joined by a community of opinionated and witty professionals, dubbed the “Mari-Team.”

A segment called Salamat! will recognize and reward selfless individuals, who have done a good deed to a fellow Filipino. Each episode will conclude with Alan, Pia, Pik! and Pag-asa, a fun segment where cash prizes will be given to winning audience participants.

There’s a lot going on in the show, and there’s definitely a lot to look forward to. I hope the show will shape up to be a great addition to your late-night lineup on free-to-air TV, especially since it’s a legal help and public service show. We look forward to hopefully help change lives.