Veteran broadcasters Korina Sanchez and Julius Babao have denied allegations raised by Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto that prominent journalists accepted up to ₱10 million from a contractor who ran against him for mayoralty in Pasig in exchange for interviews.
Sotto, in a social media post, questioned the motives behind the huge placement fees allegedly paid by contractors seeking media exposure. While he noted such arrangements may not be technically illegal, he argued they undermine the credibility of journalists and the integrity of the profession.
Although no name-dropping occurred in his post, Sanchez and Babao released their side in this issue as the Mayor used a screenshot from their respective interviews with the Discaya couple.
Korina Sanchez’s Camp Responds
In a statement, the production team behind Rated Korina and Korina Interviews defended the veteran broadcaster’s editorial standards.
“The platforms Korina Interviews and Rated Korina both take pride in its standards in storytelling and production. Both shows are multi-awarded by credible award-giving bodies through the years. Our host Ms. Korina Sanchez-Roxas has her esteemed place in the industry for very sturdy reasons,” the statement read.
In a now-deleted post, Sanchez’ camp emphasized that the subjects are just telling their life story and the output is not a piece of investigative journalism.
“Firstly, in choosing subjects and topics for our shows, there must be public interest in it, plus a story to tell. Second, bashing or criticizing or slandering other personalities or businesses is strictly disallowed. Third, subjects simply tell their life story. This is no investigative piece,” the camp stated.
The team cited the case of contractor couple Sara and Curlee Discaya, whose “rags-to-riches” story was presented as a success narrative. They clarified that Sanchez only learned on the day of taping that the Discayas would run for public office, and that the interviews were conducted before the campaign period.
They also rejected Sotto’s ₱10 million claim as “irresponsible” and “malicious." In a now-deleted post, they cited how productions were being paid for interviews.
“Yes, Mayor Sotto, there are payments for certain businesses such as that of the Discayas, products, personalities, companies or politicians much like payments made for advertisements — and these go to the network with an official receipt issued to clients. There is no such thing as a ₱10 million placement for an interview,” the camp said
However, the camp posted another version of their statement that led to people’s reaction online, which stated that they are not being paid for the interview.
“There is no such thing as a P10 million placement for an interview. This is simply not true. Malicious insinuations posted on Facebook and which publicly besmirch the reputation of our shows or Ms. Sanchez, clearly constitute cyber libel," they added.
'A lifestyle feature'
Fellow veteran journalist Julius Babao, who also interviewed the Discayas on his YouTube channel, dismissed claims of excessive payment.
Babao said that there was no ₱10 million involved in the interview. The vlog is intended to inspire people that there is hope to be successful if you persevere.
He also explained that the video is not politically intended but is intended to be part of his lifestyle feature on his channel about inspiring success stories.
The controversy has drawn attention to the blurred lines between journalism, sponsored content, and promotional features. Sotto’s criticism emphasized that public trust remains the most valuable currency for journalists, while Sanchez and Babao’s camps defended their work as lifestyle storytelling that follows established industry practice.
