Just when the Filipino public thought the “Eat Bulaga!” civil war could not possibly get any uglier, it has. The conflict, which has already devolved from a corporate dispute into a deeply personal character assassination, has just found a new, shocking, and previously “untouchable” target.

Anjo Yllana, the former 20-year “dabarkads” at the center of the controversy, has reportedly opened a devastating new front. After weeks of a relentless, scorched-earth campaign against his former mentor, Tito Sotto, Yllana has allegedly turned his cannons on the other pillar of the TVJ triumvirate: Vic Sotto.

A new, explosive report has surfaced, and its claim is so scandalous, so personal, and so utterly destructive, it makes all previous allegations look like child’s play. The report alleges that Yllana has “binulgar” (exposed) a “lihim na relasyon” (secret relationship) between Vic Sotto and another beloved, long-time former host, Julia Clarete.

This is not just an escalation. This is a declaration of total war. This is Anjo Yllana signaling that he is not just fighting one man; he is fighting the entire TVJ institution. And he is, it seems, willing to burn every bridge, every memory, and every person to the ground to do it.

To understand the sheer magnitude of this new attack, one must understand the strategic and cultural shift it represents.

For weeks, Yllana’s fury was laser-focused on Tito Sotto. He unleashed a barrage of accusations, from alleged mistresses named “Mitch, Pookie, and Sam” to the ultimate bombshell: a “secret child.” But the Sotto camp, after an initial shock, mounted a formidable defense. The “old guard,” in the form of the legendary Jimmy Santos, rose up with a furious “resbak” (counter-attack) of loyalty. The “new guard,” led by the beloved Jose Manalo, broke his silence to “expose the details,” not of the slander, but of Sotto’s true character as a “father.”

But the most effective counter-offensive came from media titan Cristy Fermin. She didn’t just defend Sotto; she reframed the entire conflict. She alleged that Yllana, a bitter, disgruntled ex-employee, was only attacking his former boss because of a massive, unpaid “utang” (debt).

This “utang” narrative was a masterstroke. It painted Yllana as a man with no credibility, a man motivated not by truth, but by a personal, financial vendetta. Anjo Yllana, the “whistleblower,” was suddenly just a man who didn’t pay his debts.

His attacks on Tito Sotto, in the eyes of many, were neutralized.

Now, Yllana has responded. Instead of answering the “utang” allegation—a battle he cannot win—he has simply changed the battlefield. He has opened a new front, one so unexpected it has left the TVJ camp reeling.

His target: Vic Sotto.

This is a strategic masterstroke of pure malice. “Tito Sen” Sotto, as a politician, is used to mudslinging. He is a “general.” Vic Sotto, however, is “Bossing.” He is the apolitical, universally beloved “heart” of “Eat Bulaga!” He is the quiet, paternal figure whose appeal cuts across all demographics. To attack him is to attack the very soul of the institution.

Yllana’s new attack is a direct response to the “loyalist” defense. By targeting Vic, he is sending a clear message: “My fight is not just with Tito. My fight is with all of you. You want to defend your ‘fathers’? Let’s see you defend this.”

The second part of the allegation is the “who”: Julia Clarete. This is not a random name. Julia was a “dabarkads” for a decade (2005-2016). She was a quirky, lovable, and integral part of the show’s “family.” This allegation retroactively poisons her entire tenure. It forces the audience to re-evaluate every laugh, every “kulitan,” every interaction between her and “Bossing” as something sordid, a secret affair happening in plain sight. It is a deeply cruel move, dragging a woman who has since left the industry and lives a quiet life abroad back into the center of a vicious, public scandal.

But the most brutal part of this attack is the collateral damage: Pauleen Luna-Sotto.

Vic Sotto’s wife, Pauleen, is also a long-time “Eat Bulaga!” co-host. Their own relationship, which also began on the show, was itself a subject of controversy due to their age gap. They have weathered that storm and have built a respected, solid family.

Anjo Yllana’s allegation is a direct, public humiliation of Pauleen. It is not just an accusation of a past indiscretion; it suggests a pattern of behavior. It is designed to create maximum chaos, not just in the studio, but in Vic Sotto’s home. It is an attack meant to wound him as a husband and as a father.

If that wasn’t enough, the report adds one more, chilling threat: Yllana is also “exposing the secrets of TVJ.”

This is the “scorched earth” part of his campaign. He is no longer just a disgruntled ex-employee. He is an “insider” threatening to “expose” the 40-year institution itself. What “secrets” does a 20-year host know? Financial secrets? More personal secrets? This is the “Pandora’s Box” threat. Yllana is signaling that he is willing to destroy the public’s love for all three hosts—Tito, Vic, and Joey—by revealing the “truth” behind the “magic.”

He is, in effect, attempting to burn the entire “Eat Bulaga!” temple to the ground.

This escalation reveals a rage so profound, it has become nihilistic. This is a man who feels he was betrayed and erased. After two decades of service, he was not chosen to be part of the “new” TVJ show. He was left behind. And now, he is attempting to “erase” them. He is trying to dismantle their public personas, one by one, until nothing is left but the rubble of their reputations.

The “Eat Bulaga!” civil war has reached its final, tragic, and unforgivable stage. The public is now forced to grapple with a new, horrifying seed of doubt. We are no longer just watching a fight between former co-hosts. We are watching a public execution of a legacy.

How will Vic Sotto respond? Unlike the battle-hardened Tito, “Bossing” is famously private and non-confrontational. He almost never engages in this level of “gossip.” Will he be forced to? Will Pauleen? Or will the new guard—Jose, Wally, and Paolo—be forced to step up again, this time to defend their other “father”?

Anjo Yllana has proven that he has nothing left to lose. And in a war, the man with nothing left to lose is the most dangerous man on the battlefield.