Tito Sotto. Image: screengrab from YouTube/Showbiz Now Na!
Tito Sotto called out Television and Production Exponents Inc. (TAPE Inc.) for mounting its own anniversary celebration for “Eat Bulaga’s” 44th anniversary, which coincided with “EAT’s” “National Dabarkads Day” last Saturday, July 29.
Sotto took to his personal X (formerly Twitter) page on Sunday, July 30, to point out that TAPE Inc. “has no right to celebrate 44 years” on air.
“Tape inc has absolutely no right to celebrate 44 years. They existed only in 1981. They did not exist in 1979. EB ceased to be EB when TVJ left them,” he wrote.
Tape inc has absolutely no right to celebrate 44 years. They existed only in 1981. They did not exist in 1979. EB ceased to be EB when TVJ left them.
— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) July 29, 2023
In a separate post, the former senator then responded to a quote card of “Eat Bulaga” host Paolo Contis, who confessed that he and his fellow hosts feel hurt when they’re being branded as “Fake Bulaga.”
“Then why not think of a new name?” his post read.
Then why not think of a new name? https://t.co/759ZomPHWv
— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) July 29, 2023
TAPE Inc. has yet to respond to Sotto’s remarks, as of this writing.
The parties are currently mired in a legal battle over copyright infringement issues over the brand “Eat Bulaga”
The production company co-founded by Romeo Jalosjos Sr. insisted that the copyright belonged to them, and not to the comedic trio of Sotto, his brother Vic, and Joey de Leon, who have since transferred to TV 5 after their falling out, and subsequent “disengagement” from TAPE.
TVJ earlier petitioned the Marikina regional trial court to issue a writ of preliminary injunction against TAPE and GMA, which has a blocktime agreement with the production firm. EDV