CA ruling in child abuse case moot – lawyer

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) decision to affirm the warrant for the arrest of television host and comedian Willie Revillame over a child abuse case no longer holds water, his lawyer said yesterday.

In a statement sent to The STAR, Leonard de Vera said it is now unnecessary for the Quezon City regional trial court handling the case to issue the arrest order because the judge has allowed his client to post P80,000 bail in the case on Sept. 4, 2013.

“Upon finding of probable cause by the regional trial court of Quezon City Branch 86, Mr. Revillame sought and was immediately granted bail,” he stressed.

De Vera described as inaccurate media reports that his client has refused to submit himself to the jurisdiction of the court.

“The inaccurate reports spreading in social and mass media are regrettable and are being misinterpreted by certain quarters on account of Mr. Revillame’s success in his new show “Wowowin” now being aired on GMA 7. It is evident that these reports are intended merely to taint and besmirch Mr. Revillame and his new show,” he alleged.

The lawyer said Revillame has the constitutional right to be presumed innocent while his case is being heard by the court. 

Revillame’s camp issued the statement after the CA’s 13th Division affirmed the order issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 86 in September 2013 for the arrest of Revillame after establishing probable cause in the child exploitation case against him.

The case stemmed from a controversial incident on the March 12, 2011 episode of Revillame’s defunct game show “Willing Willie” on TV5, during which he made a six-year-old boy dance like a male stripper.

Revillame then gave the boy P10,000 as his prize and allowed the boy to repeat his performance several times. 

The Department of Social Welfare and Development filed a child abuse charge with the city prosecutor’s office, which found probable cause to bring the case before the regional trial court.