GMA Senior Vice President Annette Gozon-Valdes maintains that the company is not taking sides on the issue between TAPE Incorporated and ‘Eat Bulaga’ pillars Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey De Leon after the three left the production last week.
Gozon-Valdes said that the network had no control over the situation. She also mentioned that the network is saddened with the decision of TVJ.
“It was beyond our control. Kung may say control lang tayo, may say lang tayo sa mangyayari, siyempre hindi natin sila papakawalan. ‘Yun ang term nila. Pipigilan natin sila. Susubukan natin gawin ang lahat para mag-stay sila sa atin kaya lang sa totoo hands off ang GMA diyan kasi it was an internal issue between TVJ and TAPE, Inc.,” she said in a GMA News report.
“So, wala naman talaga kaming alam about those issues. Nalaman lang namin ang issues kapag lumalabas sa social media, sa newspaper, o sa interviews so it wasn’t right for us na makialam,” she added.
The GMA official said that their family is not taking sides on the issue.
“From the start, wala talagang kinampihan ang GMA dito. Katulad nga ng sinabi ko it was their internal issues, it was a corporate issue,” she explained.
Gozon-Valdes also explained the existing contract of GMA with TAPE Incorporated.
“Para siguro mas maintindihan ng mga tao ang contract kasi ng GMA is with TAPE. Wala kaming contract with TVJ as talents of or as kasama ng TAPE. Ang contract na ito ay isang blocktime agreement,” Gozon-Valdes said.
“Ang ibig sabihin nun umuupa sila ng time slot sa atin sa GMA. Binabayaran nila tayo ng upa at para sila yung laman ng noontime slot from Monday to Saturday. Kung ano ang laman nun, wala tayong kinalaman dun,” she added.
Gozon-Valdes added that the contract also indicates that hosts can be replaced as negotiated by then Tony Tuviera.
“In fact, nasa contract nila that they can change hosts, they can reformat and this contract was negotiated by Mr. Tuviera pa ang nag negotiate nung time na ‘yun,” Gozon-Valdes said.
The GMA official hopes that their relationship with TAPE and TVJ will not change amid the conflict between the two parties.
“I fervently believe that it won’t change because iba naman ‘yung GMA and iba naman ‘yung TAPE. Labas ang GMA sa issues nila with TAPE,” Gozon-Valdes said.
