PINABORAN ng Court of Appeals (CA) ang naging desisyon ng Quezon City Regional Trial Court na maglabas ng warrant of arrest laban sa TV host-comedian na si Willie Revillame kaugnay sa kasong child abuse.
Sa 11-pahinang desisyon ng 13th division ng CA sa pangunguna ni Associate Justice Ma. Luisa Quijano-Padilla, sinabi nito na tama lang ang naging desisyon ng QCRTC na ipaaresto ang komedyanteng TV host.
Inasunto si Revillame ng child abuse matapos nitong pagsayawin ang 6-anyos na batang lalaki na parang macho dancer sa March 2011 episode nang nasibak niyang programa sa TV5 na “Willing Willie”.
Sa nasabi ring programa ay nakita ang bata na umiiyak habang sumasayaw. Pagkatapos pasayawin ay binigyan ni Revillame ang bata ng P10,000 bilang premyo.
Sa naging desisyon ni CA Associate Justice Ma. Luisa Quijano-Padilla, sinabi nito na hindi umabuso si QC RTC Branch 86 presiding Judge Roberto Buenaventura sa kanyang tungkulin nang mag-issue siya ng warrant of arrest laban kay Revillame noong Oct. 4, 2013.
Ayon pa sa CA, nag-isyu lamang ang QC RTC ng warrant of arrest “only after personally evaluating the factual circumstances of the complaint, which led him to believe that there was probable cause to apprehend TV host for his commission of a crime.”
“As a final note, we observe that the resolution of this case had long been delayed because of the petitioner’s refusal to submit to the trial court’s jurisdiction and his erroneous invocation of the Rules in his favor,” ayon pa sa CA.
“As there is probable cause for the petitioner’s commission of a crime, his arrest and arraignment should now ensue so that this case may properly proceed to trial, where the merits of both parties’ evidence and allegations may be weighed,” dagdag pa ng Court of Appeals.