Dancing boy’s parents file libel suit vs psychologist, several others

MANILA, Philippines—The parents of the six-year-old boy who sparked a controversy after he gyrated in the TV game show “Willing-Willie” for P10,000 have filed a libel suit against a child psychologist and several others who alleged that the boy was abused.

Joe and Diana Suan, parents of the boy Jan-jan, filed the libel case against Dr. Ma. Lourdes “Honey” Caranadang, bloggers John Silva and Froilan Grate, and several Jane and John Does with the Quezon City Prosecutors’ Office on Wednesday afternoon.

In the Suans’ complaint, they said that Carandang had no right to publicly declare that Jan-jan was abused during the show because her services as a psychologist were not sought by the family.

Dr. Ma. Lourdes A. Carandang wrote the MTRCB claiming there was child abuse on “Willing Willie” on March 12, 2011, when Jan-jan performed a dance usually done by macho dancers in strip bars.

But the Suans said, “She is not our doctor and we do not know her. She did not consult psychologists helping the family. She has not talked to Jan-jan nor has she conducted an examination, yet she made a hasty conclusion of child abuse,” the complaint said.

In the complaint, the parents also said that calling their son a victim of child abuse had caused them “dishonor, discredit or contempt.”

They added that the negative stories that have come out on TV, radio and print since Jan-jan’s performance in the TV game show on March 12, have had an adverse effect on their family.

“It destroyed the integrity of our family, with people calling us up and cursing us for allowing our son to be abused. We now seldom go out of the house to prevent any attempt to do us harm,” the couple in their complaint said.

The parents earlier said they saw nothing wrong with Jan-jan’s dance, that Jan-jan really wanted to perform on TV, and that he cried during the Willing-Willie game show after seeing an odd-looking tall comedian in the studio.