'Our son is not a child abuse poster boy'

Manila, Philippines - The parents of a six-year-old boy who performed a “macho dance” routine on the “Willing Willie” show appealed yesterday to child rights advocates to stop using their son as a “child abuse poster boy.”

They told reporters during a forum that they believe their son was not abused when he appeared on the March 12 episode of the show.

“Our son loves to dance and we see nothing wrong if he shows his talent,” the boy’s mother said.

Lawyer John Pineda, who took on the case for free, said the boy was already assessed by a psychologist and psychiatrist, who declared the boy was emotionally stable and did not show symptoms of child abuse.

He asked those who would like to help the boy to “please talk to the parents first. Talk to them privately and discreetly. There is no need to make your grand intention (known) on the Internet or in your public pronouncement.”

Pineda said child abuse charges have been filed against those using the boy.

Lawyer Leonard de Vera, who represents television host Willie Revillame, earlier said four “concerned citizens” ­­– Fr. Robert Reyes, Froilan Grate, Frances Irene Bretana and Noemi Lardizabal-Dado – and the Department of Social Welfare and Development claimed their complaint is based on what he described as a “spliced and tampered” eight-minute video uploaded on Youtube and not on the entire 48 minutes the boy appeared on Revillame’s show.

 “If only those who are quick to condemn Willie would only view the entire 48 minutes… then they will be enlightened and spare (the boy) the stigma of being unjustly branded as an abused child,” De Vera said.