Boy Abunda defends Willie Revillame: ‘Jan-jan’ was not abused

Willie Revillame. INQUIRER.NET FILE

Veteran celebrity host Boy Abunda has weighed in on the issue facing Willie Revillame who has been ordered arrested and prosecuted by the Court of Appeals for child abuse and exploitation.

In his show “Tonight with Boy Abunda” on Monday night, Abunda said that Revillame should not be the sole party to be blamed on the incident.

“I’ll be very frank: para sa akin, the six-year-old boy was not abused by Willie Revillame. Para sa akin… I think this should be discussed by the whole country… tanungin natin: ano ba ang ginagawa noon ni Jan-jan? Sino ang kanyang kasama? Anong klaseng mga sayaw at mga awitin ang itinuturo natin sa ating mga anak?” Abunda opined.

(I’ll be very frank. For me, the six-year-old boy was not abused by Willie Revillame. I think this should be discussed by the whole country. Let us ask ourselves: what was “Jan-jan” doing that time? Who was his companions? What kind of songs and dances are we teaching our children?)

Abunda said that Filipinos should challenge themselves to question the kind of culture that the children were being exposed to, adding that it was unfair for Revillame to be blamed for the “cultural disease” which was afflicting the country.

“Let’s not blame Willie for our cultural disease singularly. I think we should challenge ourselves, as someone who is working in the television, anong klaseng ugali ba ang ipinapakita natin sa ating mga anak (what kind of values are we showing our children)? But I don’t think we should all be blaming Willie Revillame sa kung anong sakit ang meron sa ating kultura (for any disease which affects our culture),” he said.

He also said that watching the interviews of the boy in the past, “Jan-jan” was not forced and the audience even cheered him on during his performance.

In an 11-page decision, the appeals court affirmed the 2013 decision of the Quezon City regional trial court which found probable cause to charge and arrest the noontime show host for child abuse and exploitation filed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Revillame was charged with child abuse and exploitation after he made “Jan-jan” perform gyrating moves in a March 2011 episode of his defunct show “Willing Willie” in TV5.

The host gave the boy P10,000 after asking him to repeat his dance moves. He also raised the boy on a hydraulic circular platform while shouting “beer pa.”

At one point, the boy appeared to be crying while dancing.

Revillame’s camp, however, said that the host has already posted bail for the charges filed against him. AJH