#RobinSisonVsLunchOutLoud Part 2
Nagsalita na ang Brightlight Leisure Productions tungkol sa pagkawala sa Lunch Out Loud ng dating creative manager nitong si Robin Sison.
May kinalaman sa diumano'y paglabag sa Safe Spaces Act at sa isyu ng abuse of authority ang dahilan kaya hindi ni-renew ang kontrata ni Robin sa show.
Ang Lunch Out Loud (LOL) ay ang daily noontime show sa TV5 na iprinoprodyus ng Brightlight Leisure Productions Inc., isang independent production company ng negosyante at dating congressman Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, o Albee Benitez.
Noong Biyernes, August 6, eksklusibong nakapanayam ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) si Robin tungkol sa reklamo nitong kawalan ng due process at isyu ng favoritism nang siya ay tanggalin sa puwesto sa Lunch Out Loud.
Kasama si Robin sa bumuo ng Lunch Out Loud mula nang magsimula itong umere noong October 19, 2020.
Aminadong contractual worker si Robin, at kada tatlong buwan ay nire-renew ang kontrata niya sa show.
Pero noong August 3, nalaman ni Robin na hindi na siya kasali sa show nang kausapin siya ng creative producer na si Bobet Vidanes at supervising producer na si Patricia "Pat-P" Daza.
Ang dahilan: Nakarating sa management ang alegasyon ng harassment na inireklamo ng hindi pinangalanang female writers ng noontime show.
Nangangatok umano si Robin ng pinto ng hotel room ng female writers sa tuwing siya ay lasing, at ang inaasal umano niyang ito ay ikinatakot ng female writers.
Nakarating din umano sa management na may isang female netizen ang gustong ireklamo ang program executive dahil sa pambabastos diumano nito nang magkapalitan sila ng mga mensahe sa Facebook.
Mariing itinanggi ni Robin ang mga sinasabing insidente ng harassment.
ROBIN'S ACCOUNT OF WHAT HE TOLD LOL PRODUCTION HEADS
Ayon kay Robin, ni minsan ay hindi siya nakatanggap ng pormal na reklamo tungkol sa ibinabatong mga alegasyon sa kanya.
Pakiramdam ni Robin ay basta na lamang siya pinakawalan bilang creative manager ng Lunch Out Loud nang hindi muna kinukuha ang kanyang panig.
Kaya nang kausapin si Robin ng producers na sina Bobet at Pat-P si Robin tungkol sa kanyang end of contract, ipinarating daw nito ang sama ng loob dahil "kinargahan" pa siya ng alegasyong harassment na wala raw basehan.
Sinabi rin ni Robin sa PEP.ph na prinangka niya si Bobet na kaya hindi ni-renew ang kanyang kontrata ay dahil hindi siya nito "anak-anakan."
Sa makatuwid ay may favoritism umano si Bobet.
Base raw iyon sa sinasabi niyang reputasyon ni Bobet sa ABS-CBN kunsaan dating nagtrabaho sina Robin at Bobet.
Si Bobet ay batikang TV director na dating may hawak ng ABS-CBN noontime show na It's Showtime at game show na Pilipinas Game KNB?. Naging direktor din siya ng The Singing Bee, Magandang Tanghali Bayan, at Kapamilya Deal or No Deal.
Lumipat si Bobet sa Lunch Out Loud ng TV5 bilang creative producer noong November 2020.
Si Robin ay matagal ding naglingkod bilang writer sa iba-ibang ABS-CBN shows, tulad ng Sang Linggo nAPO Sila, Wowowee, Game KNB?, Teysi ng Tahanan, Kaya Ni Mister Kaya Ni Misis, at Bida Si Mister Bida Si Misis.
Kasama rin sa sa mga shows na hinawakan niya ang Tarajing Potpot, Klasmeyts, Yes Yes Show, Quizon Avenue, Wazzup Wazzup, Gudtaym, Pinoy Big Brother, at Laugh Out Loud.
BRIGHTLIGHT SAYS "THOROUGH" INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED IN ROBIN'S CASE
Kinuha ng PEP.ph ang panig ng Brightlight Leisure Productions tungkol sa isyung sangkot si Robin.
Natanggap namin ang opisyal na pahayag mula kay Josabeth "Joji" Alonso, legal counsel ng Brightlight, nitong Martes, Agosto 10.
Ipinaliwanag ni Atty. Joji na nagkaroon ng masusing imbestigasyon sa mga reklamong natanggap nila laban kay Robin nang siya ay creative manager ng Lunch Out Loud.
Malinaw raw sa resulta ng kanilang imbestigasyon na may paglabag si Robin sa Safe Spaces Act.
Ang RA 11313 o Safe Spaces Act ay ang batas na nagbibigay proteksiyon laban sa "gender-based sexual harassment in streets, public spaces, online, workplaces, and educational or training institutions."
Nakapaloob dito ang iba-ibang uri ng sexual harassment "whether verbal or physical, that is unwanted and has threatened one’s sense of personal space and physical safety."
Bahagi ng pahayag ni Atty. Alonso sa isang written statement (published as is): "Brightlight has been in receipt of complaints against him for alleged acts violating the safe spaces law and abuse of authority.
"We diligently looked into these reports to ascertain the truth.
"After a thorough evaluation of the facts, Management decided to no longer renew his contract."
Hindi idinetalye ng Brightlight Productions kung anu-ano ang mga insidente ng harassment na ipinukol diumano ng complainants laban kay Robin.
"ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY" ON SAFE SPACES VIOLATION
Ganunpaman, ayon kay Atty. Joji, mahigpit ang panuntunan ng Brightlight Productions na siguruhing maging safe space ang work environment ng shows na iprinoprodyus ng kumpanya, tulad ng Lunch Out Loud.
Patuloy ng abogada sa kanyang statement: "The non-renewal of (Robin’s) contract strongly attests to Brightlight‘s zero-tolerance policy toward acts in violation of the safe spaces law and abuse of authority.
"Management does not condone such acts in the workplace and is against a culture of impunity.
"We stand for accountability and seek to promote public awareness in taking a proactive involvement to reduce the prevalence of harassment and the damage it causes.
"Brightlight is fully committed in protecting the people who work for the Company from all forms of harassment – engendering a safe space with a gender-balanced work environment."
ON ROBIN'S expired CONTRACT
Sa kabilang banda, ipinaliwanag din ni Atty. Joji na "independent contractor" o "freelancer" si Robin sa Lunch Out Loud, kaya ang employment status nito ay may end date at nare-renew depende sa employer.
"Robin Sison was engaged as an independent contractor of Brightlight Leisure Productions, Inc. (Brightlight) to render services as head for creatives of the show 'Lunch Out Loud' or 'LOL'.
"The terms of the contract sufficiently appraised that his services were only for a specific period and shall be subject to Management’s decision for renewal."
Sa kaso raw ni Robin, nag-expire na ang kontrata nito at nagdesisyon ang management na hindi i-renew ang serbisyo nito bilang creative manager ng LOL.
Dagdag ng abogada (published as is): "Under the Labor Code, independent contractors are individuals with special skills, expertise or talent to enjoy the freedom to offer their services.
"They act as freelancers whose services are coterminous with the period agreed upon in their contract. In this case, (Robin’s) contract expired and Management had full right to no longer avail of his services."
BRIGHTLIGHT FULL STATEMENT
Ito ang buong pahayag ng Brightlight kaugnay ng isyu ng non-renewal of contract ni Robin Sison:
"Robin Sison was engaged as an independent contractor of Brightlight Leisure and Productions, Inc. (Brightlight) to render services as head for creatives of the show “Lunch Out Loud” or LOL.
"The terms of the contract sufficiently appraised that his services were only for a specific period and shall be subject to Management’s decision for renewal.
"Brightlight has been in receipt of complaints against him for alleged acts violating the safe spaces law and abuse of authority. We diligently looked into these reports to ascertain the truth.
"After a thorough evaluation of the facts, Management decided to no longer renew his contract.
"Under the Labor Code, independent contractors are individuals with special skills, expertise or talent to enjoy the freedom to offer their services. They act as freelancers whose services are coterminous with the period agreed upon in their contract.
"In this case, (Robin’s) contract expired and Management had full right to no longer avail of his services.
"The non-renewal of (Robin’s) contract strongly attests to Brightlight‘s zero-tolerance policy toward acts in violation of the safe spaces law and abuse of authority.
"Management does not condone such acts in the workplace and is against a culture of impunity. We stand for accountability and seek to promote public awareness in taking a proactive involvement to reduce the prevalence of harassment and the damage it causes.
"Brightlight is fully committed in protecting the people who work for the Company from all forms of harassment—engendering a safe space with a gender-balanced work environment."
Hindi sinasagot ni LOL Creative Producer Bobet Vidanes ang text messages ng PEP.ph na ipinadala nitong mga huling araw.
Sinabi naman ni LOL Supervising Producer Pat-P Daza na ang sasagot para sa Brightlight ay ang counsel nilang si Joji Alonso.
Inaasahan namang sasagutin ng Brightlight ang ilan pang reklamo ni dating LOL Creative Manager Robin Sison.
Nananatiling bukas ang PEP.ph sa magiging pahayag ng mga personalidad na nabanggit sa artikulong ito.