CA affirms ruling, orders QC court to proceed with Willie Revillame’s trial

The Court of Appeals has ruled with finality to allow a Quezon City court to try actor and television host Willie Revillame for the child abuse and exploitation raps filed against him in 2011.

The CA Thirteenth Division junked the motion for reconsideration filed by Revillame, who sought to overturn the appellate court's September 7, 2015 decision.

The CA earlier upheld the Quezon City Regional Trial Court's decision by Judge Roberto Buenaventura that found prima facie evidence against Revillame and which ordered his arrest on October 4, 2013.

GMA News Online is trying to get Revillame's comment as of posting time.

In a three-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Maria Luisa Quijano-Padilla, the CA division denied the appeal filed by Revillame for "lack of merit."

The CA pointed out that no new arguments were presented to warrant the reversal of its earlier findings.

"We have carefully reviewed our decision vis-a-vis the Motion for Reconsideration and we have found that the issues raised in the present motion and the arguments advanced in support thereof are mere rehash of those already considered and passed upon, and no new issue or substantial argument has been presented to justify the reversal or modification of the assailed decision," the resolution reads.

The CA opined that the lower court "committed no grave abuse of discretion in finding probable cause indicting petitioner of Violation of RA No. 7610, there being a showing that respondent judge personally evaluated the factual circumstances that led him to believe that there was probable cause to apprehend petitioner for its commission of the offense charged."

The appeals court argued that the lower court did not arbitrarily issue the warrant of arrest against Revillame as it was issued after his personal evaluation of the factual circumstances that led him to believe that there was probable cause to apprehend petitioner for his commission of a crime.

Revillame was charged with child abuse after a boy danced a sexy number while crying on national television in 2011.

The crowd, including the boy's aunt, were seen laughing and clapping while the boy repeatedly danced to the tune of Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode" on the video that went viral with millions of hits on YouTube.

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, then chaired by Senator Grace Poe, held that the episode showed immoral and indecent broadcast that ran against Filipino values.

"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," the CA ruled. —NB, GMA News