Willie agrees to defer airing of new show

MANILA, Philippines - Television host Willie Revillame’s new show on TV5 will not air within this month pending the resolution of several issues that he and ABS-CBN submitted before the court concerning his decision to rescind his contract with his former mother network.

The parties to the case agreed upon the arrangement yesterday following a hearing at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 84 wherein ABS-CBN’s plea for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Revillame’s new show, among other things, was brought up.

After the counsel for ABS-CBN, Miguel Silos, insisted on presenting their witness for their prayer for a TRO and a writ of preliminary injunction against Revillame’s new show on TV5 – called “Willing-Willie” – which is reportedly to be launched soon, Judge Luisito Cortez called both parties inside his chamber to discuss the matter.

“I think there was a gentleman’s agreement that there will be no airing of the show within the month of October,” Cortez told reporters after the meeting.

The judge is set to issue an omnibus order on Oct. 29 on motions submitted by both camps, including one asking the court to compel Revillame to produce his contract with TV5.

ABS-CBN is questioning the TV5 contract, criticizing Revillame for entering into such an agreement despite the fact that the court has yet to rule on the host’s plea for a judicial confirmation to rescind his contract with ABS-CBN.

Revillame had told the court that ABS-CBN forced him to rescind his contract due to his suspension without pay, the alleged unilateral cancellation of “Wowowee” and the downgrading of his program from three hours daily to just one hour weekly, among others. His camp filed the case, saying the network wanted to tie him down to the contract until its expiration in September 2011

ABS-CBN, in response, filed a P486-million counterclaim suit against its former talent. The TV network said the host violated the behavioral provisions of his contract when he threatened the ABS-CBN management with a resignation if management did not fire Jobert Sucaldito over the showbiz scribe’s tirades against him.