Nene Tamayo axed because of Magdalo link?

Pinoy Big Brother star Nene Tamayo recently revealed that her links with members of the mutinous Magdalo group was behind her removal as host of a segment in ABS-CBN’s news program TV Patrol World.

In an article posted on Tuesday, the Philippine Entertainment Portal quoted Tamayo as saying that the ABS-CBN management took her out of the news program after she was suspected of using the segment to shore up support for the Magdalo.

The magdalo group is responsible for the failed Oakwood mutiny against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on July 27, 2003. The group counts ex-Navy Lt. Sr. grade and now Senator Antonio Trillanes as one of its leaders.

"Kaya po ako natanggal doon ay dahil sa Magdalo group. Akala po kasi ng nasa government, isa ako sa mga nagre-recruit na maging rebeldeng sundalo yung mga tao. Parang ang perception nila, ginagamit ko yung 'Citizen Patrol' para maka-recruit ako ng mas maraming tao na magrebelde against sa government (I was removed from the program because of the Magdalo group. People in government thought I was recruiting soldiers to go against the government. They had a perception that I was using ‘Citizen Patrol’ to recruit more people to go against the government)," Tamayo was quoted as saying. 

Shortly after emerging as the winner in the reality show Pinoy Big Brother in 2005, Tamayo (Jennivev Santillan Tamayo in real life) was taken in as a host of Citizen Patrol where she stayed until the program's management recently decided to remove her.

On the other hand, Luchi Cruz-Valdez, ABS-CBN vice president for News and Public Affairs, outrightly dismissed Tamayo's claim, saying the decision to remove Tamayo from the program was mainly due to financial constraints.

"We can't afford her (talent fee). We looked at the budget and found that we were better off shifting (the hosting of) Citizen Patrol to Ted Failon (one of TV Patrol's main anchors)," Valdez told GMANews.TV in a telephone interview.

Valdez also said that even the show's ratings indicated that the segment's hosting was better left to the main anchors. 

"We felt that her addition had no effect on the program. The ratings did not go up nor did it go down. We can't justify the cause (why we should still keep Tamayo)," Valdez said.

Valdez also said she is puzzled over Tamayo's earlier statement, saying they ended the contract "very amicably."

For her part, Tamayo's handler, Kate Dolino, said that executives from the news department properly explained to her why they were taking Tamayo out of the show. "They said, the essence of being a Citizen Patrol was already being lost with Nene hosting it," said Dolino. 

Both Valdez and Dolino confirmed that Tamayo is still being handled by the ABS-CBN Talent Center. - Philippine Entertainment Portal, GMANews.TV