Controversies
On February 4, 2006, while Revillame was hosting Wowowee, the PhilSports Arena stampede occurred. On August 24, 2007, the Department of Justice dismissed criminal charges against Revillame in connection with the stampede. However, Justice Secretary Gonzalez affirmed the charge against 14 others, including ABS-CBN officials.
In the August 3, 2009 episode of Wowowee, during which the show was interrupted for live coverage of the transfer of President Cory Aquino's remains from La Salle Greenhills to the Manila Cathedral, Revillame said that he could not make people happy while the entire country was mourning. The Alliance of Filipino Journalists denounced his remarks as a sign of disrespect towards Aquino. Revillame said he had no intention of defaming the former president and her family. ABS-CBN senior executive Cory Vidanes said the network supported Revillame's action, stating that his outburst did not run afoul of the Broadcast Code of the Philippines. Network entertainment official Johnny Manahan said Revillame was correct in saying that the footage should not have been inserted, but the way he said it was wrong.
On March 12, 2011, a "macho dance" by an apparently unhappy six-year-old boy on Revillame's new show, Willing Willie, resulted in criticism, including the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development describing it as a case of child abuse. Revillame “sincerely and deeply” apologized for the segment, “which viewers may have found offensive or in bad taste.” The Commission on Human Rights is pursuing an investigation of the program for violating the law.
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