Court denies Revillame plea in abuse case

Willie Revillame. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

THE COURT of Appeals has affirmed with finality a Quezon City judge’s ruling of probable cause to indict television host Willie Revillame for child abuse.

Revillame was charged by state social workers with making a seemingly reluctant  six-year-old boy dance lewdly in an episode of his defunct game show “Willing Willie.”

In a three-page resolution dated April 11, the appellate court’s 13th Division denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Revillame’s lawyers for lack of merit.

The court said Revillame did not present a new argument to cause a reversal of its

Sept. 7, 2015, ruling that there was prima facie evidence to charge Revillame with violation of the Anti-Child Abuse Law, and that the Quezon City regional trial court had correctly issued the corresponding arrest warrant.

“We have carefully reviewed our decision vis-a-vis the motion for reconsideration and we have found that the issues raised in the present motion and the arguments advanced in support thereof are a mere rehash of those already considered and passed upon, and no new issue or substantial argument has been presented to justify the reversal or modification of the assailed decision,” the resolution written by Justice Ma. Luisa Quijano-Padilla said.

The court said the RTC “committed no grave abuse of discretion” in finding probable cause to indict Revillame for violation of child abuse laws.

QC Judge Roberto Buenaventura issued the arrest warrant for Revillame on Oct. 4, 2013. The TV host posted bail but questioned his indictment in the Court of Appeals.

The appellate court ruled that “as there is probable cause for the petitioner’s commission of a crime, his arrest and arraignment should now ensue so that this case may properly proceed to trial, where the merits of both parties’ evidence and allegations may be weighed.”

Revillame was charged with exploiting the boy contestant who appeared pressured into dancing like a male stripper in order to win a prize during the “Willing Willie” show that aired on March 12, 2011. Jerome Aning