Letter of ABS-CBN’s Ma. Socorro Vidanes to the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas:

We write in reply to your letter dated 10 August, requesting ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation to comment on the complaint of Movie and Television Review and classification board (MTRCB) Chairperson Ma. Consoliza P. Laguardia, and an undated statement of Jerry Yap, President of the Alyansa ng Filipinong Mamamahayag (AFIMA).      

The said complaints and statement both refer to the 03 August 2009 episode of the television program Wowowee, wherein the funeral cortege of the late President Corazon C. Aquino was exhibited as an inset in portions of the said program. The MTRCB letter alleges that Mr. Revillame “appeared to arrogantly demand the removal of the inset screen showing the funeral cortege”. The Honorable MTRCB Chairperson then opined that the said act was “desecrating the dead” and thus, “seems to be in violation of Article 20, Section 2, of the Broadcast Code of the Philippines”.

On the other hand, the AFIMA statement states that “for him to deman the removal of the little window screen showing the funeral march of the woman who got ABS-CBN back from Marcos is a blasphemy of democracy, an act despicable xxx.” It appears, therefore, that the complaint and statement are both based on the alleged disrespect by Mr. Revillame to the late former President Aquino.

It is ABS-CBN’s position that there was no disrespect of the dead by Mr. Revillame. When the funeral cortege of former President Aquino was shown as an inset during Wowowee, Mr. Revillam expressed his opinion of the inappropriateness of the simultaneous exhibition of both the funeral cortege and Wowowee, and his preference that only one or the other be shown.

In expressing his opinion and preference, though, Mr. Revillame did not show disrespect for former President Aquino, In fact, the contrary is true. In making his statements, Mr. Revillame wanted to give due respect to former President Aquino and her funeral cortege

Indeed, in Filipino culture, customs, and tradition, ceremonies involving the dead are solemn and sober. Thus, the laughter, jokes, and happiness usually seen in a program like Wowowee would appear to be inappropriate when viewed together with the funeral cortege. On the one hand, the Filipino people are mourning the death of a loved and respected former President, and on the other hand, Wowowee is trying to entertain its audience.

It appears, therefore, that Mr. Revillame’s issue was with the inappropriateness of Wowowee and the funeral cortege being shown together, and not with the funeral cortege itself. While it may be argued that Mr. Revillame could have expressed his thoughts in a better way and that it would have been better to raise them privately, instead of the public manner in which he did, such was not disrespectful of the dead and not constitute an offense under the KBP Broadcast Code of the Philippines.

We trust the foregoing comment satisfactorily establishes that there was no violations of the KBP Broadcast Code of the Philippines.

Very truly yours,

MA. SOCORRO V. VIDANES
Head, Channel 2