A brewing battle between founding owners of “Eat Bulaga” (EB) is threatening to rock the Philippines’ longest-running noontime variety show.
A Babbler revealed that former congressman Romy Jalosjos is reportedly seeking to take control of Television and Production Exponents (TAPE), the owner of “Eat Bulaga” (EB), from his partner Antonio “Tony” Tuviera and the show’s original hosts Tito and Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon, collectively known as TVJ.
“Jalosjos wants to kick out Tuviera and TVJ out of the show. He just waited to Tito to get out of politics before launching his takeover bid,” said Babbler.
Tito is a former Senate President who did not win in his bid for vice president in 2022.
Babbler said Jalosjos, a former ABS-CBN sales executive, is trying to “divide and conquer” EB by wooing its other co-hosts, specifically comedians Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola, and Allan K – as replacements for the ageing TVJ.
Babbler said Jalosjos allegedly wanted one of his daughters to replace one of EB’s most popular co-host, celebrity Maine Mendoza, on the show.
Babbler said Tuviera, TVJ and the other EB co-hosts held an emergency meeting on March 2 to map out their next move on Jalosjos’ takeover bid.
The Philippines’ longest-running noontime variety show, which has been on air since 1979, currently has a block time contract with GMA Network of bilyonaryo Felipe L. Gozon.
It should be noted that Jalosjos spent 12 years in the New Bilibid Prison after being found guilty of raping an 11-year old girl in 1997.
Despite this, he was able to win two more terms as a representative of Zamboanga del Norte in the 1998 and 2001 elections.
He was eventually dropped from the House of Representatives after his Supreme Court conviction in 2001.
Although his life imprisonment was cut short after being pardoned by then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Commission on Elections has barred him from running for office. Currently, his son and namesake represents his district.