TAPE Incorporated admitted that they have been hurt over the decision of the original hosts Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey De Leon to leave the production company.
“Nasaktan kami because talagang itinuloy nila, and ang pangit pa doon, when it happened, pinapalabas nila that we kicked them out,” TAPE Chief Finance Officer Bullet Jalosjos told GMA News.
“We had to stop the airing nung time na alam namin na talagang lalabas sila because we wanted to negotiate with them still,” he added.
Jalosjos maintained that they own the trademark for Eat Bulaga.
“As far as the company is concerned, legally, we own the trademark, we own the show, we own the name,” he said.
He also refuted Tito Sotto’s claims that TVJ owned the trademark for the noontime show.
“Yun po yung sinabi sa akin kagabi ni dad, contrary to everything, sinabi niya, ‘I approved everything. Binigyan nila ako ng listahan niyan. There were different names they thought of but my dad chose ‘Eat Bulaga’,” he said.
“Hindi po naman namin pwedeng bitawan din yun. Hindi po namin pwedeng sabihin, out of respect, ‘sige gamitin niyo na lang.’ Hindi eh, meron po kaming rights eh,” he added.
