'They’re asking everyone to resign’: Tito Sotto lambasts TAPE in new ‘Eat Bulaga’ tell-all
MANILA, Philippines — “What is happening in ‘Eat Bulaga’?”
GMA Entertainment reporter and TV host Nelson Canlas straightforwardly asked one of the noontime show’s pillars, Tito Sotto, for “Updated with Nelson Canlas,” in a video uploaded on GMA Integrated News’ YouTube channel yesterday.
“Ang accurate na kasagutan d’yan, ang TAPE Inc. nabago ang komposisyon. Nandu’n pa rin si Tony Tuviera pero ginusto nila, ginusto daw ng Board, according to the person talking to us, the acting CEO (chief executive officer) or president na nagpalit kay Tony Tuviera, ang gusto raw eh i-retire si Tony at pumasok ‘yung grupo nila to ika nga ay patakbuhin ‘yung production. Ganu’n ‘yung original na pinaplano,” Sotto explained.
He admitted that they at “Eat Bulaga” had been trying to avoid interviews and the media, but he agreed to do a “tell-all” with Canlas to shed light on the controversy and to hopefully put an end into it.
“Iniiwasan na lang namin para ‘di na lang lumaki at saka baka may mabuklat eh sa mga inisweep under the rug ng mga kung sino, ‘di ba? Eh biglang lalabas and we were just trying to avoid that. And the agreement that we have in TAPE a few years back, ‘Let’s live and don’t lie’,” he said.
He never expected that “Eat Bulaga” will be racked by a controversy like this after almost 44 years on air.
“Ikinalulungkot namin. All of the sudden, out of the blue… Nagugulat kami na after 43 years, going 44, na magkakaro’n ng kontrobersiya na nabulabog ang ‘Eat Bulaga,’ samantalang nanahimik and everything was doing well. There were its ups and downs but generally, it was fine, until about the January of 2023.”
‘The Board is bored’
As a senator for 24 years and a local government official for 40 years, Sotto said it is important for him to not lie and give inaccurate media statements.
He recalled that the issue began when an officer of TAPE Inc. “was interviewed and was not accurate.”
“As a matter of fact, there were four statements that were made. So we would rather, and with the consent of Vic (Sotto) and Joey (de Leon), that we would rather explain or elaborate or perhaps give light to what is true on some of these statements that were made,” he said.
“We were taken aback when suddenly, statements are made by a member of the Board. That’s not only controversial but also inaccurate and false.”
One of those statements, said Sotto, alleged that “Eat Bulaga” is going bankrupt so it should be reinvented.
“Ang sabi sa amin, nalulugi daw. Kailangan daw baguhin ang nagpapatakbo. At kailangan daw i-reinvent ang ‘Eat Bulaga.’ At meron daw mga portion na bored sila. I have the videos and the statements to prove that,” he said.
He recalled some of the talks that transpired from their general assembly last February.
“Nu’ng general assembly, ang mga sinabi ni Romy (TAPE Inc. owner Romeo Jalosjos), naging controversial sa marami sa amin. ‘Yan, nandudu’n ‘yung magreretire tapos irerehire, babaguhin ang ganito. ‘Yun daw income n’ya na P10 million a month aalisin na n’ya, gagawin n’yang P200,000 na lang… Magcocost-cutting daw kasi nalulugi sila. Kailangan daw i-reinvent. Ang taas ng rating, irereinvent mo? Hirap na hirap nga ‘yung mga kalaban.”
When Nelson asked who were these people who were “bored” with some of the show’s parts, Sotto said, “I think it was the chairman… the Board is bored, ganu’n ang sinasabi.”
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‘Nothing wrong’ with ‘Eat Bulaga’
According to Sotto, when they learned that Tuviera, the show’s brainchild, will be replaced as TAPE Inc. President and CEO, they thought that this should not be the case because for them, there is nothing wrong with “Eat Bulaga.”
“We thought na hindi pwede! Wala namang diperensya eh. May diperensya sa financing! Sa funding. Malaki diperensya sa funding! Pero sa kanilang problema ‘yun. Problema ng TAPE ‘yun, hindi problema ng ‘Eat Bulaga’ ‘yun. ‘Di ba? TAPE is the producer. ‘Eat Bulaga’ is the production. ‘Eat Bulaga’ is Tito, Vic and Joey.”
He admitted that he is still sad after TAPE asked Tuviera to “retire” from the show. He believes that Tuviera was “asked” to retire.
Sotto questioned why TAPE meddles with the show because although TAPE is the producer, it is Tuviera, Tito, Vic and Joey who are the show’s pillars in production, and Sotto considers the producers separate from the production.
“So, papalitan mo ‘yung portion na nagre-rate dahil bored ka? Sabi ko, ‘Hindi naman ikaw ang audience, ah!’,” he said. “Kaya nga nu’ng nag-usap-usap kami, hindi pwede! We will ba sacrificing the program? Pagka-ganyan, hindi tayo magkakasundo. Baka magkahiwa-hiwalay tayo.”
After sitting down with TAPE, Tito thought that all’s well among them again.
“It came to a point na we sat down, pumayag naman sa gusto namin, kaya okay lang, except lately… Lately, biglang may member of the Board tells media something else.”
‘Rebonding not rebranding’
When Nelson asked Tito to clarify TAPE Inc. Chief Financial Officer and Dapitan mayor Bullet Jalosjos’ statement in his Boy Abunda interview that they are planning a “rebonding and not rebranding” for the show, Tito said: “I don’t know what he means by rebonding. Anong irerebond mo? Samahan? We were there for 43, almost 44 years.”
According to Sotto, TAPE is not really bonded with the show’s production.
“Wala naman kaming nakita sa kanila. They never participated. So what is there to rebond?”
Tito said he feels more for production staff who could be retrenched for the so-called “rebonding” even though they have been with the show for 20 to 35 years.
“I am disappointed at what is happening… Ang ikinakahirap ng damdamin namin, dito sa pinaplano ng TAPE na baguhin sa production, they were asking everyone to resign especially the small ones! ‘Yung mga maliliit ang kita – pinagreresign, pinagreretire, at irerehire naman daw. Sabi ko, ‘What is the guarantee na they will be rehired oras na magretire na sila’? Eh kasi nga para mai-ayos ang budget. Mas mababa ang iswe-sweldo,” he elucidated.
“Kaya nga hindi kami pumapayag. Sabi namin, ‘Wag gan’un!’”
When asked if there is a rift between them and the Jalosjos family that owns TAPE, Sotto clarified that there was none, until the family had been telling the media about the show’s supposed reshuffling.
“Siguro wala naman kaming nakikitang samaan ng loob even before eh… Except lately nga… na gustong baguhin ‘yung programa, pumayag na hindi na, but then again, ‘yung statement is saying otherwise. What do you expect us to feel?”
According to Tito, TAPE’s statements about the show is not in accord with their agreement regarding giving media interviews.
“Meron kaming pinag-uusapan eh ‘pag magbibigay ng statement sa media or something like that na sabi ni Jun Jalosjos na kasama namin ha. S’ya ang presidente ngayon. Sabi namin, mag-clear muna tayo… Pag-usapan natin kung anong statement ang ibibigay natin sa media. Mag-usap muna tayo. Ang nangyayari, iba eh. All of a sudden, a member of the Board comes out, what do you call that, sordid statements?”
Goodbye, TVJ?
When asked if Tito, Vic and Joey (TVJ) would really leave “Eat Bulaga,” Tito said, “Let’s see what happens.”
“Alam mo, masagwang pakinggan sa’min ‘yung mareretain kami. Para bang pwede kaming sipain? Eh kami nga ang ‘Eat Bulaga’ eh,” he professed.
“My unsolicited advice to them is mag-ingat naman kayo sa mga bitaw ng salita kasi nakakasakit ang mga salita ninyo. Kami, pigil na pigil kami. Ang tagal na naming gustong ilabas lahat ‘yan pero pinipigilan namin, pagkatapos, babanatan n’yo kami ng ganyan?”
Tito, however, clarified what Jalosjos meant in a media interview when he said that so far, “Eat Bulaga” is in “status quo.”
“’Yun ‘yung sinasabi ko na let sleeping dogs lie na status quo. Okay na, tuloy ang production, tuloy ang ganito, gusto nila magbawas ng tig-te-10 percent sa mga ano para maka-recover daw agad, okay lang. Ah bakit magbibitiw ka nang kung anu-anong salita? Akala ko ba satus quo? Bakit biglang may ganu’n?” he said.
“We were assured by Jun Jalosjos, the (TAPE) president now, we were assured that everything is in status quo.”
According to Tito, for the show’s issues to be resolved, he proposed that the program should be left as it is: “It’s doing well. Leave it alone.”
If TAPE would not take that road, Sotto warned that TVJ might pursue a different path.
“Kapag ka ganu’n, ‘di na tayo pwedeng magsama,” he said. “We never severed ties with Tony Tuviera. So if you’re talking about TAPE and ‘Eat Bulaga,’ my answer is ‘Let’s cross the bridge when we get there’.”
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