Wowowee’s fate hangs in the balance

Curtain-raiser:

• Don’t be misled by a press release that came out in this section yesterday about dancer-singer Mocha guesting in "Gary’s show." Actually, both Mocha and Gary Valenciano are guest performers in an event slated for tonight in Dagupan City organized by the Private School Athletic Association. Mocha and Gary will entertain athletes from around the country.

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First, a clarification: The ongoing Alay sa Kapamilya that has taken the timeslot of Wowowee on ABS-CBN is not a "raising funds for the victims" of the stampede last Saturday at the Philsport Arena (old ULTRA) as mistakenly mentioned in a STAR front-page story yesterday.

"The show is not meant to raise funds," clarified Cory Vidanes, ABS-CBN senior vice president for TV Production. "ABS-CBN is not doing any fund-raising."

ABS-CBN executives Gabby Lopez and Charo Santos-Concio have assured the public that the company will shoulder the expenses for the burial of the 74 victims and the medical needs of the more than 300 injured in the incident.

"Alay sa Kapamilya is an inspirational show where ABS-CBN stars and other guests offer songs and prayers," added Cory.

It’s not known yet how long Alay sa Kapamilya, aired from 1 to 3 p.m., the time occupied by Wowowee, will be on air pending the resumption of Wowowee which temporarily signed off last Saturday in deference to the stampede victims and survivors.

These past five days, Wowowee host Wllie Revillame, shattered by the unexpected incident, has been shuttling from one funeral parlor to another, checking on the families of the victims, and visiting those injured in various hospitals.

The other day, Charo spent more than two hours in a heart-to-heart talk with Willie who remains disconsolate. Willie has been so crashed by the tragedy that, initiually, he expressed doubts whether he could muster enough courage to go back to the show. "I couldn’t have the heart to make people laugh on the show with the memory of the tragedy fresh in my mind," Willie was quoted as saying.

As it is, the fate of Wowowee hangs on the balance. According to ABS-CBN executives, they isn’t sure yet when the show will resume airing. For a while, there was even a plan, later scrapped, to discontinue the show which has captured the imagination and the hearts of especially the poor eager to be instant millionaires via the Pera O Bayong segment or simply getting into the studio to participate in any of the contests (Bigat 10, etc.) and go home with at least a basketful of goodies.

"Makita ko lang si Willie at makamayan o mahalikan ay masaya na ako," said an avid Wowowee follower.

I agree with critics that it’s a combination of poverty and greed that draws people to gameshows like Wowowee. But I must say that winning easy money from such TV contests is not unique to the Philippines, where TV producers have only been inspired by similar TV games-of-chance that originated in rich and progressive countries like America, home of such durable get-rich-quick shows like The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, Who wants To Be a Millionaire, The Weakest Link and many others. Everybody or anybody, whether rich or poor, is thrilled and tempted by the prospects and possibility of becoming an instant millionaire, isn’t it so?

Not ‘guilty,’ says Joey

In the wake of the ULTRA stampede, a nasty text message has been circulating quoting Joey de Leon, co-host of GMA’s Eat, Bulaga!, Wowowee’s rival, as saying in reaction to the tragedy: Dito na lang kayo sa amin! Dito, mga buhay! Sa kabila... (nagmumuwestra ng "gilit-leeg").

Did Joey really say that, allegedly during Bulaga!’s Saturday edition aired on the same day of the ULTRA stampede?

"No, I did not," Joey told Funfare during a brief phone chat. "Why would I do it? I’m not that insensitive to do such a thing. Somebody is out to destroy me and I’m trying to find out who he or she is. When Ernie Baron died, I was also accused to saying or doing something I didn’t do. I may be naughty sometimes but I’m not as bad as what my detractors picture me to be."

In fact, the Bulaga hosts went silent for one minute to sympathize with its rival show and to offer a prayer for the victims and the survivors. The next day, hosts of GMA’s Sunday noontime show S.O.P. also made the same gesture.

"I appreciated it," said Willie. "In times like this, everybody should join hands in prayer and disregard the netwrok war. "Yang ratings, numero-numero lang yan. The numbers change everyday. What doesn’t change is the good-heartedness of people during a tragedy."

Yesterday, word got around that the MTRCB "reprimanded" Joey for an act he said he didn’t commit. In a phone chat with Funfare, MTRCB Chief Consoliza Laguardia said that she and other board members reviewed the Bulaga tape and she didn’t hear Joey say anything negative about the Wowowee incident nor see him make the "gilit-leeg" gesture.

No, Laguardia stressed, the MTRCB didn’t "reprimand" Bulaga in general or Joey in particular. "We only reminded them – take note, ‘reminder’ and not ‘reprimand.’ It was a preemptive move from MTRCB and not a ‘warning’. I want to make that clear.

If he didn’t say those things in the text message, did he perhaps make a "cutting’ gesture across his neck?

"No, I did not," said Joey.

A Bulaga staffer said that for several days now, Joey has been suffering from a sore throat.

"I’m not sure if at some point he scratched or touched his neck," said the staffer. "All I can say is that Joey didn’t do it."

Let’s hope that these statements from people concerned will put the non-issue to rest.

Briefly Noted:

• Lani Misalucha is coming home in April for a concert after more than a successful two-year stint in Las Vegas, performing with the Society of Seven (SOS) which last week lost member Gary Bautista who died of massive stroke while in the middle of a song (with Lani and the SOS) at an affair in Los Angeles. (It was Jun Polistico, not Bert Nievera, whom Gary replaced in SOS.) Lani was last seen "live" on TV in March last year during the first Pacquiao-Morales bout in Las Vegas when she sang the Philippine National Anthem. Everybody said that it should have been Lani (or some other name singer, like Martin Nievera) who should have been tapped to sing again during the recent Pacquiao-Morales rematch and not a newcomer who was obviously not up to the challenge (against Jon Secada who sang the Mexican National Anthem) and was off-key during a high note.

* Having recovered from her divorce from fellow Puerto Rican and Salsa King Marc Anthony, former Miss Universe (1993) Dayanara Torres is back in tip-top shape and fighting form. I just got a copy of the Spanish-language fitness magazine Shape featuring Dayanara on the cover, a pasalubong from news editor Edmund Silvestre of New York-based The Filipino Reporter. In the story, Dayanara said that she’s ready for Hollywood. The same story mentioned that Dayanara was a big star in the Philippines where she was hailed not only for her acting in several movies but as TV’s Dancing Queen. Dayanara has two children by Marc Anthony who is expecting his first child with new wife Jennifer Lopez.

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