It's been four years and many controversies later, but the Court of Appeals has finally approved the arrest and prosecution of popular TV host Willie Revillame for child abuse and child exploitation.
It was in 2011 when, in one of the now-defunct Willing Willie's segments, he made a child dance like a "male stripper" as the audience cheered and laughed. Throughout the performance, the young boy was in tears.
He then taunted the kid further by placing him on a hydraulic circular platform and chanted "beer pa" and giving him an additional cash prize to keep dancing.
The DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), and many viewers, were outraged and so filed the complaint against Revillame, citing a violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-child abuse law.
Since the episode aired, netizens have expressed mixed opinions on the issue. Some believe the child was in tears not because of humiliation but because he was made to dance right after he spoke about his father, which made him emotional.
But no matter what theories or versions of what really happened, the bottom line is that a child was depicted in a lewd manner. And so it is only right that it be thoroughly investigated. So that no incident such as this happens again on national television.
There is no update yet as to when the court will execute prosecution and Revillame's arrest. He first filed a motion for reconsideration in 2013, which the court denied.
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