Joey de Leon's promise to MTRCB: 'No more trash talk'

The much-anticipated meeting between Joey de Leon and Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) Chair Consoliza Laguardia finally took place on Sept 3, at the latter's office. According to Abante Tonite columnist Abu Tilamzik, the closed-door meeting lasted for more than an hour. Joey reportedly assured Chairman Laguardia that he would refrain from giving snide comments about Willie and Wowowee. Despite initially saying that he is not yet ready to bury the hatchet, Joey's decision to finally adhere for a ceasefire was probably triggered after Willie gave a public apology last Saturday, Sept 1, at his program. "Kung may natitira pa siyang [Joey] respeto sa akin, sana tuparin na niya ang pangako niya sa akin," said Chairman Laguardia when asked for a comment after the meeting. The Eat Bulaga! host likewise asked Willie and his supporters to stop from hurling invectives meant to tarnish his reputation. "Sana, tumigil na rin ang ibang mga kakampi niya, yung mga cohorts ba. Kasi pagkatao ko na ang sinisira nila, eh," expressed Joey, who was obviously referring to the columnist friends of Willie. Last August 29, Willie gave a lengthy speech to deny accusations that his program engages in game-rigging tactics to fool its viewers, particularly the contestants. But aside from defending his show, Willie also went all out to publicly denounce Joey for allegedly blurting out some snide comments to arouse public suspicions even more. The following day, August 30, Joey answered Willie and called on the embattled host to explain the fraud issue first instead of diverting his anger towards him. SENATE INVESTIGATION. Despite the impending settlement between the two hosts, the Senate, through the lobbying of Senator Mar Roxas is reportedly hell bent in investigating Wowowee's case. Roxas formally filed a resolution yesterday, September 3, calling for a probe "in aid of legislation." The motion, known as Resolution No. 111, affirms that the state has an obligation to protect and uphold the interest of the consumers including sales promotion, which is clearly stated under Republic Act No. 7394—commonly known as The Consumer Act of the Philippines. In this regard, game shows are under the Act's jurisdiction and can be investigated if serious accusations of fraud come into play. Roxas said that the resolution was based on an earlier complaint submitted to the Senate Trade and Commerce committee by a certain professor named Bayani Santos. Roxas is the head of the mentioned committee. Senator Gregorio Honasan, meanwhile, endorsed the proposed "Hello, Pappy" inquiry, saying: "We are definitely endorsing the Senate investigation. This is all about fairness, and ensuring the probity of all popular contests, whether onscreen or off screen, in order to safeguard consumers." Honasan even compared Wowowee's case to a US game show that was accused of fraud way back in 1959 wherein the US Congress stepped in to investigate the controversy. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on the other hand has yet to divulge the results of its own investigation. - Philippine Entertainment Portal