Coming back

Starting November 10, 2012, Saturday at 2:30 in the afternoon, the hit show of the ‘90s, Kapag Nasa Katwiran, Ipaglaban Mo!, will be back on GMA 7 News TV. Ipaglaban Mo is one of the longest running top rated public service programs on TV that gained a lot of viewers mainly because of its educational value imparted in the form of an enlightening and entertaining drama anthology of cases decided by the Supreme Court.

The show actually renders public service because it informs the Filipino people, especially the masses, of the various laws of the land applicable to their everyday lives as depicted in actual cases already decided by the SC, thus enabling them to become law abiding citizens and responsible members of our society.

It is a different TV legal show in the sense that the stories are based on facts already determined by the courts from the evidence presented during the trial, and not merely on the versions given by the viewers or by parties to cases still pending in court or under investigation. It is also different in the sense that the legal answers to the stories presented come not from the opinions of the host lawyer but from the decisions of the SC which are already considered as part of the law of the land.

Ipaglaban Mo is an adaptation of the various cases reported in this long running column of the Philippine Star, “A Law Each Day” and thus also presented in simple and easily understandable manner. Hosting the show will still be yours truly assisted by my son Jopet Sison who took up law at the Ateneo de Manila University and finished it at Manuel L. Quezon University. To make it more interesting, informative, and riveting, the dramatization of the cases will be at a faster pace lasting 30 minutes only instead of the previous one-hour show, maintaining its relevance by showing the latest decided case under modern settings and backdrops.

Ipaglaban Mo started in 1989 when some colleagues in media saw the potential of “A Law Each Day” also becoming a TV show because of the common touch and easily understandable manner in which the highly technical decisions of the SC were presented. The format and style of this  column was actually the idea of the late Philippine Star Publisher, Betty Go-Belmonte who wanted the SC cases reported here to be couched in common language and with clarity and charity as to be easily absorbed not only by lawyers but by ordinary people. Thus “A Law Each Day” in the Philippine Star became “Ipaglaban Mo” on TV.

The weekly TV show started way back on November 20, 1989 at 9 pm on IBC 13.  The initial episode starred Richard Gomez and Dina Bonnevie under the direction of the renowned Peque Gallaga and Lorenzo Reyes. The next episode starred Jaclyn Jose, Jimmy Santos and Tirso Cruz III with Carlitos Siguion Reyna as, director. Subsequently, Nick Lizaso an incumbent commissioner of the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA) took over and directed most of the episodes in the show.

Because of its mass appeal, a daily 5-minute legal vignette entitled “Ikaw at ang Batas” was also developed and shown during the 5 pm balita in IBC 13. This was a shortened version of the weekly program with some reenactments of the established facts. Later on both shows were transferred to Channel 9 until it was station produced by ABS-CBN Channel 2 in the early ‘90s. Since then, Ipaglaban Mo was aired every Sunday for one hour starting 2:30 pm while “Ikaw at ang Batas” was aired daily, Monday to Friday as part of “Hoy Gising” another hit show in the said network, hosted by Ted Failon and Korina Sanchez.

On the occasion of the 18th Catholic Mass Media Awards, the show was bestowed with the  “St.Lorenzo Ruiz Award” for Television particularly the episode entitled “Karahasan o Kamangmangan”, for “serving God and the Filipino people by promoting human values through the mass media”.

Ipaglaban Mo really became a hit because of its mass appeal. Hence to reach more people and have a wider base, ABS-CBN through its sister company, the Star Cinema decided to produce two movies also adapted from sensational cases reported in this column. Two movies were actually produced portraying several cases, which, to my recollection, starred well known performers in local cinema like Nida Blanca, Ronaldo Valdez, Subas Hererero, Joel Torre, Ricky Davao, Gina Alajar, Chin Chin Gutierrez, Marianne de la Riva and Marvin Agustin. Directing the movies were well known film makers particularly the late Marilou Diaz Abaya, as well as Nick Lizaso, Rolando Quintos and Carlitos Siguion-Reyna.

The line producer of the new episodes to be aired in GMA 7 News TV starting November 10, 2012 at 2:30 pm, is the reputable and tested creator of quality TV shows, “The Big Top Entertainment” Inc. headed by two young, energetic and dedicated ladies: Angie Valvieja, its President and also the Executive Producer of the show, and Louanda Lomibao, the Chairperson of the company who is also the show’s Supervising producer. Calling the shots behind the camera is Dante Nico Garcia, a young, up and coming director with progressive and modern ideas out to make the show another top rated TV program. Completing the production staff are Paolo Leano, also the Supervising Producer, Oliver Valvieja, Consulting Producer and Mary Magallanes, Associate Producer.

Hopefully, companies in our country with a high sense of corporate responsibility will support the show by sponsoring it or airing their TV commercials in it, so that it will be able to continue helping our people overcome their ignorance of our laws and enhance their human values.

Our new email address: [email protected]