I saw Willie Revillame on a live interview with 24 Oras last time. He was being interviewed by Mike Enriquez together with his lawyer. This is the issue about his contract with ABS-CBN.
Willie is insisting that he is no longer a talent of ABS-CBN because after being promised that he shall make a comeback in Wowowee on July 31, he was told that his show is being canceled and that instead of his usual 18 hours a week live stint on TV, he will be demoted to a 1-hour canned program on Studio 23. Linggit Tan of ABS-CBN said that the management will put Willie under observation because with a taped episode, his words can still be censored. Additionally, they are not sure if they are really going to reinstate Willie at all.
So anyway, Willie is not amenable to the set up. For sure, his salary is way below than what he used to enjoy. He is claiming that ABS-CBN does not want him anymore and so he wants out of his contract so that he can work somewhere else. But the network giant is claiming that Willie’s contract is until 2011 and from the way I understand it, they have no plans of canceling it.
After what has happened, Willie remains arrogant. It seems that with his hotshot lawyer, they are planning to take legal action against ABS-CBN if they will continue to keep Willie in their stead without giving him work. But what does the lawyer really know? After all, he gets paid for every work that he does for Willie. But what about Willie? He could really end up penniless after all this.
I read the column of Butch Francisco. He had some words of unsolicited advice for Willie. But I have to agree with Mr. Francisco. Willie, if he wants to really battle it out with ABS-CBN, will just be banging his head against a brick wall. His entire life will revolved around it. Meanwhile, ABS-CBN management will just delegate the case to their team of lawyers and that will just be another case. Mr. Francisco suggests that Willie just wait it out or maybe reach a compromise with ABS-CBN because indeed, before he knows it, 2011 has come and his contract has ended. If he fights it out, it can take years for the courts to decide on his case and he may lose the case and a lot of years of his life.
Whatever Willie decides is his problem. But honestly, despite his sad demeanor, I have no sympathy for Willie. He still appears arrogant. His case is a good example of the saying about pride that leads to downfall. He had lived the good life. He should have at least maintained it by remaining humble and true. Too bad.
Will he be able to recoup his losses? He can, if he makes careful steps in the following days and months.