Court of Appeals junks ABS-CBN bid to stop Willie's TV5 show

By Edu Punay (The Philippine Star) Updated November 01, 2010

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) has junked a bid by ABS-CBN to immediately stop the airing of television host Willie Revillame’s new game

show on TV5.

In a three-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla, the CA’s 14th division did not grant ABS-CBN’s petition for the immediate issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the show “Willing-Willie.”

Instead, the CA opted to first give Revillame a chance to answer the petition within five days. The appellate court also gave ABS-CBN five days to reply to Revillame’s comment.

ABS-CBN earlier filed a petition for review before the CA, seeking to set aside a ruling issued by Quezon City regional trial court (RTC) Judge Luisito Cortez denying its motion for the issuance of a TRO against Revillame’s new show.

The network opted to immediately elevate the case to the CA instead of filing an appeal before the RTC.

Earlier, Revillame insisted that Cortez did not commit grave abuse of discretion in denying ABS-CBN’s application.

Cortez, in his ruling, said ABS-CBN failed to establish its entitlement to a TRO. He added that ABS-CBN also failed to establish that it shall suffer grave and irreparable injury if and when Revillame, who used to host a game show on ABS-CBN, proceeds with a similar program with a competing network.