This is a bit late, but I guess it’s never too late for us to weigh in on it, because it’s rather unprecedented on Philippine television, unless it’s happened before and I just didn’t know about it. I’ve never heard of any celebrity threatening to resign if a station didn’t fire somebody else. I heard the reaction was explosive, both pro and anti. I don’t even know if Willie has gone back to work already or if it has been resolved, but it definitely stretched the boundaries of a celebrity’s clout in any medium. I guess it will work like landmark cases in court. Much like certain lawsuits, I guess how this will play out will set the precedent, by which future celebs will refer to in the future. It will be interesting if one side will “win” over the other, or if it will be settled as most showbiz conflicts, with a handshake and an “ayusin nalang natin” attitude. The former hawi boy of Randy Santiago has gone a long way, eclipsing his mentor in leaps and bounds, but which will eventually prove bigger, his celebrity or his hubris? Is he the victim as he claims or is he the aggressor as others feel? Will public opinion have the final say on this issue, or will Willie’s money-making pull and mass market appeal outlive the outrage? It will be very interesting to fast-forward and see history’s verdict on one of local televisions most polarizing personalities.
