Philippines probes popular TV show over child abuse accusation

Mar 29, 2011, 10:59 GMT

Manila - Philippine government agencies on Tuesday launched investigations into a popular television show accused of exploiting a 6-year-old boy who was reportedly made to do a striptease dance.

The Commission on Human Rights said it was studying the possibility of filing charges against those responsible for allowing the boy to dance lewdly on national television.

'The commission will investigate this incident in order to identify the person/s liable and to recommend proper actions against them,' it said in a statement.

The case stemmed from the popular evening variety show Willing Willie on TV5 channel, in which host Willie Revillame gyrated with the boy named Jan Jan to mimic a strip dancer.

Revillame gave the boy, who came from a poor family, 10,000 pesos (230 dollars) after the dance.

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board said it would conduct its own investigation into the March 12 episode of the show.

Grace Poe Llmazares, the board chairman, said that whenever children are featured in television programmes, producers are mandated to avoid 'any act by deed and words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of the child.'

Revillame and TV5 have apologized for the incident, but maintained that the show did not intend to humiliate or abuse the boy.

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