Popular entertainer and game show host Willie Revillame was forced to return to the capital town of Virac last Sunday evening (Nov. 8, 2020) after he was met by a ‘mob’ of fans in Gigmoto town.
A source who was with the celebrity told the Tribune that when the helicopter landed on a field in the town, a sizable crowd of several hundred people had already gathered at the town center.
The waiting people grew frenzied as Revillame’s motorcade approached.
The entertainer, who was accompanied by Governor Joseph Cua, reportedly went out of the vehicle to greet the crowd.
According to reports, the Gigmoto trip was not in the original schedule submitted to the governor’s office.
Revillame, who was supposed to arrive at 12:30 P.M. but his departure from Manila was delayed for some reason.
By the time he arrived at Virac airport, it was already late in the afternoon.
Revillame allegedly insisted on going to Gigmoto, even suggesting that he and the governor would sleep in nipa huts if needed.
When the decision to go back to Virac was made, the pilot of the chopper had already left to avoid the so-called sunset limitation on landings at the airport.
Revillame’s group, including the governor, headed back to Virac and had dinner at Kemji Resort and Restaurant.
He then spent the night at the residence of Congressman Hector Sanchez in barangay Valencia before flying back to Manile with his crew in the morning.
Revillame reportedly gave P100,000 as assistance to the typhoon victim who asked him for help. He also left behind P5 million in the form of a check, with P2 million to go to the municipality of Gigmoto to be used to purchase a half sack of rice for each family and P3 million for the province’s relief efforts in the other towns.